Fly Me to the Stars
by Ausir
Summary: A StarWars and Eva Xover. The Alliance is planning to overthrow the Empire. Shinji is set to pilot the Empires newest weapon: Requiem. ShinjixRei, some OOC but nothing too serious.
1. Prologue

I was surfing the net one day and stumbled on a fan-made image of Rei in a Star Wars-esque environment. That's what gave me the idea to write this fic, therefore I want to thank that unknown artist (couldn't see any name) for giving me inspiration. I hope you'll enjoy my fic!

OOC Warning: It's a well known fact that the personality depends on a person's environment, therefore if you change the environment the characters are _bound _to have different personalities. _However_ I'll still try to preserve most personality traits in this fic, I'm just giving you a little warning here.

Disclaimer: Boy, would I've been loaded if I owned _both_ Star Wars and Eva, but since I'm broke I guess I don't own it.

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**_Fly Me to the Stars_**

_A Star Wars/Evangelion x-over by Ausir_

_Prologue_

"The Clone Wars; that is what we call the series of devastating battles which raged across the galaxy…" The old teacher walked slowly back and forth in front of his class.

"It went on for nearly three years and claimed countless humanoid lives…" He stopped and gazed over the students in black and grey uniforms who were all sitting at attention.

"And, as if this was not enough, in the final moments of the war, those fanatic Jedi attempted to assassinate our great leader!" He sighed. "Fortunately, due to lord Vader's loyalty, our Emperor's life was saved, and the treacherous Jedi destroyed"

He began to walk back and forth again "By the closing of the war, fifteen years ago, the galaxy lay in ruins. However, thanks to the suffering and hard work of your parents and those of others, as well as the leadership of our great Emperor, the galaxy has recovered much. It is up to you, the younger generation, to lead the Galactic Empire to further glory under the wise rule of Emperor Palpatine"

The teacher stopped his ramblings when the electronic bell sounded. The class rose as one, saluted their teacher and marched out. However, once they had left the classroom, all formality was thrown out the window, and the class began to behave like most other fourteen and fifteen year olds across the galaxy.

"Can't he ever _shut up_?"

"He's been telling us the same story for several _years_ now"

"Teach is like an old holonet-recording"

"Anyways, what are you doing this weekend?"

"Going to the arcade, wanna come?"

"Hell yeah!"

"I can't, I've got an assignment"

Among the fifty or so students, a certain trinity was now headed for the gates of Coruscant's Imperial High School. The members of this small group were: Ikari Shinji, the son of two of the highest ranked imperial researchers, Gendo and Yui Ikari, Aida Kensuke, whose father worked in the Imperial Security Bureau and finally Suzuhara Touji, whose father was an engineer on one of the countless Star Destroyers scattered across the galaxy.

Touji put his hands behind his neck and gazed towards the sky "Man, if graduation came tomorrow it wouldn't be one day too early" he announced.

"Yep" Kensuke nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Shin-man" Touji turned towards his other friend "Can'tcha get ya parents to take the Teach in as one of their experiments?"

The meek boy shrugged "Don't think so" he answered "I think you have to be a convicted prisoner or something to be used as a guinea-pig"

"That sure is a shame" Touji said.

Kensuke grinned "Don't worry! Once I'm a Walker pilot I'll hunt Teach down and step on him!"

"Yeah right like they'll ever let _you _pilot anything" Touji made a macho pose (although everyone else thought he just looked stupid) "Me on the other hand, will be an elite commando trooper" he boasted.

"And you said my ambition was ridiculous" Kensuke mocked him.

Touji glared at him "At least it's cooler than sitting in a cockpit for the rest of your life" he said.

"Hey Shinji what do you want to be" Kensuke asked, completely ignoring Touji's response.

Shinji looked unsure "Um, I don't really know" He sighed "I think mom and dad wants me to become an imperial commander or something like that though" Shinji really loved his parents, but sometimes he felt they had too high expectations on him.

Touji and Kensuke looked at each other and then burst out laughing "You? An imperial commander? Hope they're prepared for disappointment" Touji said still laughing.

As they continued to walk their way home on the sidewalk, Shinji could hear something approaching at high speed a bit above and behind them. He looked behind him to see what it was and instantly paled.

"Get down!" he yelled, casting them to the ground mere seconds before a blue speeder whooshed over them. The speeder made a U-turn and scraped against the wall of a nearby building and finally made a screeching halt right in front of the three boys, who were all trembling from the shock.

Out f the speeder stepped a purple haired female imperial officer, wearing a typical black uniform, although it was slightly… modified. The long sleeved shirt with buttons all the way up to the neck had been buttoned up to reveal _a_ _lot_ of cleavage. Further more, the black skirt which normally reached down past the knees had been folded so it now ended a good way _above_ her knees. The overall appearance of the bombshell in front of them made small streams of blood trickle down all three boys' noses. The purple haired beauty steeped up to them.

"Which one of you is Ikari Shinji-kun?" she asked.

While the boy in question merely blinked dumbly, his two friends assaulted him with looks of envy and hatred. Touji spoke first. "Hey, Shin-man, how come you've managed to hook up with such a babe!"

"That's right!" Kensuke exclaimed while pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose "you shouldn't be keeping these kinds of things secret from your two best friends!"

Shinji backed a few steps and raised his hands defensively "I don't know what you're talking about! I've never seen her before in my entire life!"

"Yeah right!" the two others yelled in unison.

While Touji and Kensuke demanded their friend to 'spill the details', the woman in question walked up to Shinji. "I take it you're Ikari Shinji-kun?"

"Um… yeah I am" he said, thankful that she had saved him from Touji and Kensuke's embarrassing questions.

"Your parents sent me to pick you up"

"Mom and dad did? Why?"

The woman shrugged "Dunno, but they asked me to hurry up so I guess it's pretty important, now come on"

Shinji obediently followed the female officer to her speeder. She jumped in and began to start it up, while Shinji turned to his friends "Eh, see you later guys" he said.

"Sure, just don't forget to tell us how your date went!" Kensuke said. Both he and Touji were grinning broadly.

When the speeder took of, Shinji was thrust back into his seat by the huge g-force. _'Damn'_, he thought,_ 'she must be driving near the speed of sound!'_ Aside from driving insanely fast, the woman also seemed to be blissfully ignorant of any traffic rules, speeding past or zigzagging between all the other drivers, probably causing quite a few accidents in the process. After a while, Shinji got used to the speed and the rocking from side to side and ventured to talk.

"So… um… what did you say your name was?" he asked.

To his horror, the purple haired woman took her eyes from the traffic and put them on him instead. "Oh that's right I forgot to tell you my name", she said. "I'm Captain Katsuragi, but you can call me Misato" She flashed him a grin which made Shinji blush. She was being a little _too_ friendly in his opinion.

His embarrassment was overridden however, by the much more acute need for self preservation. "Misato-san!" he pleaded "please keep your eyes on the traffic!"

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In the depths of the GEHIRN research lab, a short haired female in a lab coat stood inside her office. She was looking at a small photo. _'I can't believe I'm going to let this happen to my own CHILD'_ Behind her a door opened, and a tall man with dark hair and orange tinted glasses stepped in.

"Is something wrong, Yui?" the man asked with a worried look.

Yui turned towards the man, her husband. "I don't know, dear" She put down the photo on a nearby bench and heaved a sigh. "It's just… what if we're wrong, what if something happens and…" She began to break into tears. "I couldn't bear loosing my little boy"

Her husband walked up to her and embraced her. "Shhh… nothing will happen to our son" He tried to comfort her while she continued to sniffle against his shoulder. "Besides, his parents will be there"

The sobbing stopped and Yui rose her face to meet that of her husband "Yes Gen-chan, we will be there" Yui wiped the remaining tears away "We can make sure nothing happens to Shinji" Gendo smiled at her and they shared a brief kiss before reluctantly parting away from each other.

"We should get going" Gendo said "Captain Katsuragi will be here with Shinji any minute now" They both exited the office and went to meet up with their son.

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There were only a few buildings on Coruscant which could rival the Imperial Palace in its size. Among these were the Imperial Academy, the Imperial Advertising Department and most notably, the GEHIRN Research Centre. The research centre consisted of a pyramid shaped depression several kilometres deep, connected with a tall pyramid at one of its points; this was where most of the research took place. The administrative part was nowhere as impressive, it was merely a very tall building behind the pyramid. There were also rumours about a second underground lab for the more… eccentric… experiments; however, any GEHIRN staff would always deny that such a lab existed.

The whole compound spanned an area of several hundred kilometres and could even be seen from high orbit, a fact which Shinji had no difficulty believing in when Misato's speeder closed in on the monumental compound. Since GEHIRN was owned by the government, it was well protected by several powerful blaster cannons and its own garrison of patrolling storm troopers.

"Wow" It was Shinji's first time to see where his parents worked, and the sight awed him.

"Pretty impressive, huh?" Misato asked.

"Yeah" Shinji absently answered, never once averting his gaze from the impressive sight.

They were briefly halted by a patrolling trooper on a speeder bike who asked for identification. Once they had been cleared Misato steered them towards a landing platform by the pyramid. Once they had landed, Misato led Shinji towards the entrance, where he could see his parents waiting for him. Shinji had barely seen them for months; they had been too occupied with their latest project.

"Mom, Dad!" he called out and waved at them.

"Glad you could make it sweetie!" Yui waved back, Gendo just smiled at his approaching son.

After giving his parents a quick hug, Shinji aired the question which was burning in his mind "So, what's the big deal you guys? I mean, I've barely seen you for months and now you invite me to your work?" Both his parent's expressions became quite serious.

Yui put her hand on Shinji's shoulder "Sweetie, we've brought you here because we have something we want to show you"

"Huh? Show me what?" Shinji was taken back a little by his mother's serious tone.

Gendo stepped in "I think we should take this inside" he proposed.

Yui looked at him "Yeah, I think you're right, dear" Then she turned to Misato "Thank you for bringing our son here, Captain, you may leave now" Misato saluted wordlessly and turned to walk back to her speeder, but not before flashing Shinji another flirtatious smile.

"Now, Shinji" Gendo spoke "we are going to show you what we've been working on for these past months" He began to walk towards the entrance, shortly followed by his wife and son.

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Inside the research centre they had taken an elevator. Shinji couldn't be sure, but he felt that either the elevator was just slow or it went a _long_ way down. They got out of the elevator and walked for quite a bit, Shinji behind his two parents. They walked in silence. After what seemed like hours, Gendou and Yui stopped in front of a door.

Yui turned to face Shinji. "Before we can show you what we've been working on down here, sweetie, we need you to do a couple of tests for us" She opened the door. Shinji hesitated. "Go on sweetie, there's nothing to worry about" his mother told him reassuringly. Shinji, being careful by nature, hesitated for a few more seconds before entering.

When the door closed behind him, Shinji was greeted by two females in lab coats. One was quite young, the other about the same age as his mom. The older woman smiled at him.

"You must be Shinji-kun" she said. Shinji nodded.

"Good, I am Doctor Akagi Naoko and this is my daughter, Ritsuko" Shinji turned to the one called Ritsuko who gave him a short nod before her mother continued.

"Would you please take of your shirt so we may begin your testing…"

The tests went on for nearly two hours. They weighed him, checked his reflexes and eyesight, made him do some exercises to learn his physical condition and so on. Most of the tests were fairly normal; however some of them were beyond Shinji's comprehension. Like when they took a blood sample and began to count his midi-something-s or when they asked him to guess what was shown on a screen which was turned away from him. Although they _did_ seem to like whatever they found out from it.

When they had finished testing him, Ritsuko presented a black rubbery uniform to him. "You should put this on" she said.

"Um… what is it?" he asked timidly. Some of the tests had been _very_ embarrassing.

"It's a special suit needed for the final test" she explained.

Shinji put it on with some reluctance. Even though the two doctors had already seen all of him, it was still uncomfortable to change in front of two women. The suit was quite flabby when he put it on, but when he was finished, the elder Akagi told him to press a button on his left wrist. Once he pressed the button, the suit instantly became skin tight. It was still quite comfortable to wear however, like a second skin. After a quick inspection of the suit, the two doctors pushed him trough a second door and into a pitch-black room.

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Unknown to Shinji, both his parents were looking over his test results as they came in.

"I always knew our son was in tip top condition" Yui said proudly.

"Hm-mm" her husband agreed "His reflexes are pretty good and so is his stamina and…" Gendo frowned "His hand-eye coordination is lacking though" It wasn't that big a surprise to him. Gendo knew that his son could be quite clumsy on occasion.

"It is? Let me see" Yui took the info-screen from him. "It's not that bad" she decided after looking it over for a minute "we'll just have to train him in those areas where he's lacking" She handed the info-screen back to her husband.

Gendo nodded "Yes, besides, he's doing very well considering the circumstances" He smiled.

His wife punched her fist playfully into the air "Hell yeah! That's my baby!" she yelled.

The info-screen made a little sound as new information was added. Gendo looked down at it. "Oh" he said "Shinji's midi-chlorian test is just in" After he had read the message, Gendo merely stared at the small screen.

"Well how is it?" Yui asked "Come on, tell me, tell me!" She went to her husband's side and looked at the text and numbers on the small screen. Her eyes grew large. "Wow"

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_To be continued…_

AN: MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm gonna leave you hanging from this cliff for a weak or so (I have school and other fics to attend to) but I will update soon enough so just hang on and review if you feel like it.


	2. Chapter 1

Ok then, here's the update, took a while longer than I personally wanted to, but I guess it'll be all right.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything 'cept this computer and my soul, no wait I sold that one, ok, just the computer then.

Aside from the disclaimer and the OOC warning from the prologue, I also want to ad a Mecha warning. Here it comes.

Mecha Warning: There will be NO giant purple mecha in this fic, it's been replaced by something better suited to the Star Wars universe, so if you WANT to read about a giant purple mecha, you'll have to go somewhere else.

Now on with the fic! (_Star Wars intro theme plays)_

_**Fly Me to the Stars**_

_A Star Wars/Evangelion x-over by Ausir_

_Chapter 1_

General Bel Iblis looked down from the bridge of his ship at the gigantic form of the Imperial Capital. It was so full of life, yet it also seemed so peaceful. It was hard to believe that the planet below had been the seat of a military dictatorship for one and a half decade. Iblis stroked his beard in deep thought.

'_Soon, if everything goes as planned, we will reinstate the Republic'_ he smiled grimly _'Then you'll get what you deserve, Palpatine, you bastard'_

"Everyone's in place Captain" one of the navigators announced "they only await your orders"

Iblis nodded. It had taken over a year of preparations, planning and revising to get everything ready. They had secretly brought in troops, disguised as immigrants and traders, who hid on the planet and also sought out crucial information on their assigned targets. Their fighters had been equally disguised, giving the impression of harmless speeders or transport ships. The plan was to use this secret army and hit strategic points, such as army-controlled spaceports and research centres, taking down Coruscant's defences and to arrest the self proclaimed Emperor. Iblis opened a channel to the rebel squads.

"All troops, this is General Iblis talking. You all know what to do, move out and good luck to you all"

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Shinji didn't hate darkness, not really. It was only the lack of electric lighting which discomforted him, and the loneliness. But he wasn't _scared _of being all alone in the dark, oh no, just slightly… uncomfortable. Honestly, he wasn't scared _at all_. Shinji's mind made a great and noble effort in trying to convince him of this, although it failed miserably.

Ever since he was five he had been deathly afraid of being alone in the dark. That was because of a _really_ creepy incident. He had been home alone, both his parents where working late as usual, and the power had gone out. Now this in itself wasn't all that creepy, it was what happened after which had scared him shitless. Alone in the dark apartment, he had heard a soft, scraping sound. Then something soft had brushed against his right ear.

He had screamed, cried and flailed with his arms, to make whatever it was go away. Fortunately, his parents had come home just then and had been able to calm him down. Unfortunately though, his father had also told him what _it_ had been. It was, his father told him, a conduit worm, a parasite that fed on electronics and, occasionally, the electricity emitted from humanoid brains. Shinji shuddered at the memory; he hadn't been able to sleep in the dark for _years_ after that.

And now he was standing all alone in the dark, furiously concentrating on picking up the soft scraping from conduit worms. He didn't hear anything though, and after some time he began to calm down slightly. He tensed up again however, when he not heard, but _saw_ something. A pair of blood red orbs, glowing faintly in the dark, was approaching him. Naturally, he panicked. Whatever it was, Shinji was positive that it would be worse than any conduit worm, a _lot_ worse. Shinji backed into the door from whence he had come and started banging on it with his fists.

"Mom! Dad! Let me out! Let me out!"

Shinji screamed at the top of his lungs. His hands hurt from hitting the hard steel, but he was too afraid to care. He looked behind him to see the red orbs hovering almost right behind him and he increased his efforts.

"Why are you screaming?"

Shinji immediately stopped beating the door. The voice had been in a soft monotone and didn't sound like the one a horrible monster out to eat his brain would use. Instead it sounded kind of… cute.

"H-huh?" he said.

"Why are you screaming?" the voice repeated.

Before Shinji could answer, the lights were turned on, revealing that he stood inside a giant hangar, and he heard his mother's voice coming through a speaker.

"Sorry for letting you wait in the dark, sweetie!" she said "I know how much you hate it; it's just that something came up!" she was standing beside her husband and waved at Shinji through an observation window.

"I see you have already met with Rei" said a voice, which Shinji recognised as Naoko Akagi's.

"Rei?"

Shinji turned around and saw that the red orbs which had haunted him in the dark were in fact the eyes of a pale girl with short azure coloured hair who wore a uniform similar to the one he himself wore. The girl gave him a cold stare.

'_Great! I bet I looked like a complete idiot to her'_ He mentally kicked himself. Still, he tried to talk to her.

"Um… hi… my name's Ikari Shinji, I'm sorry if I acted weird before and…" Her continued staring made him trail of.

'_Smooth move Ikari!' _Shinji berated himself _'if she didn't think you were an idiot before then she sure as hell thinks so now!'_ Yui noticed her son's distress.

"Don't mind her, sweetie, she's always been that way, barely speaks to anyone"

This made Shinji feel a bit better, but not much. The blue haired girl still stared at him with her crimson eyes, completely enchanting the boy. Rei's eyes seemed to pry into his very soul, dissecting and examining it in every detail. The spell was broken when Yui's voice once again sounded trough the speaker.

"Now, sweetie, we want you to do one more test for us" Shinji managed to break eye contact with the red eyed girl.

"Huh? Well… um… sure, why not?"

"Well then, Shinji" It was his father's time to speak "let me introduce you to our latest project!"

With that said, Gendo made a sign to one of the technicians, and shortly after a big shaft opened inside the hangar, from where came an ominous rumbling sound, soon followed by the dark form of a sinister looking star ship.

"This" Gendo proudly proclaimed "is Requiem 01"

Shinji stared at the pitch black fighter. He didn't know what he had expected, but it sure wasn't this. It had a shape that resembled a stretched oval, sharp and pointy at both ends yet fairly broad on the middle. The Requiem also had a fair amount of nasty looking spikes, probably some kind of stabilisers, distributed along its surface. The greatest amount of these protruded slightly up and outward from the rear end, while two major ones pointed downwards and held the ship's weight, along with its pointy snout.

On the whole it looked really cool; though Shinji still couldn't shake the feeling of malevolence which he felt came from the fighter. Its shape was also quite disturbing. It seemed too organic for Shinji's taste, as if it was some huge black insect from a faraway system. Indeed, the surface looked more like a carapace than armour made of durasteel.

"What do you think son?" Gendo asked with anticipation.

"Give us your true opinion, sweetie" Yui said, equally expectant.

Shinji hesitated, but not for long.

"Well… its, um… really cool, I guess" he said _'and creepy as hell'_ he mentally added.

"It's great that you feel that way, sweetie, because we would like you to pilot it" Shinji's brain functions made a screeching halt.

"Me?" the boy asked incredulously "You want me to pilot something I've never even heard of before? Why?"

"Because you are one of the few who can, son" Gendo explained "and we don't know of anyone who would be better suited than you"

"How do you know that" the boy asked, quite confused "If I've never piloted it before how do you know that I'm the best suited?"

This time Naoko was the one to answer.

"That's what those tests were for, Shinji-kun" she explained "Initially we intended for Rei to pilot it" Shinji gave the red eyed girl a quick glance.

Naoko continued. "However, we wanted to se if you could do it as well, and according to the tests, you'd be very good at it"

Shinji thought this over. He had never been very good at anything; most of his achievements had been around, or sometimes below, average. But now here was someone who told him that he would make for an excellent pilot. This wasn't what changed Shinji's mind though. What did was the realisation that he now would be able to do something for other people, to make them happy. Since Shinji was a very caring person, this felt like the most important to him. He looked towards the Requiem again and fought down a shudder.

"Ok, if there's no one else, I guess I have to do it"

The three adults smiled.

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The Requiem had been even creepier up close. For one, there didn't seem to be any windows, or even entrance hatches. Shinji had wondered how he was supposed to get onboard the thing when an opening had _formed itself _once he got close enough. Shinji had reeled back a little when that happened, but everyone assured him that there was nothing to be afraid of, so he continued on, although a bit hesitantly.

Once inside the cockpit, the entrance had morphed back into the same smooth surface as before. The whole thing gave Shinji the willies. It didn't get any better when he heard a splashing sound and found that the cockpit was being filled up with a thick, foul smelling liquid. Shinji panicked.

"Ghaaa! What's this?"

"Don't worry, Shinji-kun, you won't drown" Naoko assured him "The Elixir is perfectly breathable, and is necessary to help you command your Requiem"

Shinji didn't trust one word she said, so he closed his eyes and made a desperate attempt at the longest-held-breath galaxy record. Not until his air ran out and he was forced to gulp down the bitter Elixir, he found that it was, in fact, breathable, although it was also quite nauseating. He could feel his lunch attempting a come back.

"Don't puke in the cockpit, sweetie" his mother warned "You would still have to breathe it" This gave Shinji new motivation in fighting down the bile rising in his throat.

The cockpit was now completely black, even after Shinji had opened his eyes. Then there was a tingling sensation and the Elixir became transparent, and a screen in front of him flashed to life and gave Shinji a perfect view of the hangar.

'_Wow'_ was all Shinji could think of.

"Now, Shinji-kun let us begin"

"Um… ok, what do I have to do?" Shinji couldn't see any controls except for two handles in front of him.

"The Requiem operates by impulses it receives from your mental patterns via the Elixir" Naoko began to explain, but saw the lost look on the young pilot's face and sighed.

"In short, you control it with your thoughts" Shinji lit up.

"That sounds pretty easy" he said hopefully.

"Yes, but you still need to concentrate" Shinji looked a little less sure about himself.

"Don't worry, sweetie, we'll guide you through it" Yui said. Naoko nodded.

"Yes we will. Now Shinji-kun, grab the handles, close your eyes and take a deep breath…"

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"He's rather impressive, that boy" Ritsuko commented after Shinji's testing had gone on for roughly an hour.

Shinji had caught on quite fast, learning to make the Requiem rise into the air after just fifteen minutes of hard concentrating. After the initial success, the pilot had rapidly learned how to go forwards and backwards, make sharp U-turns and even a few spins, although the latter caused him to became a little sick. He was now flying around happily within the hangar, trying out new stuff which was being suggested to him.

"Yes he is" her mother agreed with the slightest hint of bitterness lingering in her voice.

"Is something wrong Naoko?" Yui asked her colleague. The other woman sighed.

"No, nothing" she said _'I worked so hard to make Rei the perfect pilot, going through so many failures, and now this… boy, comes and all that I have worked on… everything… up till now has turned to naught!'_ Naoko absently let her eyes rest on Rei, who had joined them in the control room.

"Nothing at all"she repeated.

"Oh, ok" Yui still felt a bit worried for her friend though.

"But you know, if…" she tried, but was cut of.

"I think it's time to bring Shinji-kun back down" Naoko said just a little too loudly. Yui nodded and opened a channel to the Requiem.

"Sweetie, that's enough for today, you should…" Once again Yui was cut of, this time by a huge explosion which made the whole hangar shake.

"What the hell was that!" Ritsuko yelled in alarm.

Gendo opened a channel to one of the higher levels.

"Report!" he barked at the techie on the other end.

"We have been infiltrated by rebels, sir!" the techie answered "They have taken over 56 of the upper regions and are making their way into the lower levels! Reports also state that other parts of the capital have been attacked as well"

"How the hell could that happen?" Gendo raged. He could hear several minor explosions through the communicator.

"We don't know, sir, it is possible that… Aaaargh!" At the other end the techie's life was ended by a blaster shot to the back by one of the rebels.

Gendo turned the communicator of.

"Get Shinji down, we will have to evacuate" he said as calmly as possible.

"I don't think so, you bastard"

The voice came from one of the techies; Gendo thought his name was Sagara something, but he wasn't sure, the man had only worked at GEHIRN for a few months. More importantly, the techie (who will be called Sagara for convenience) was holding a blaster in one hand and was backed up by two other techies.

"I see, so that's how you did it" Gendo still kept his calm, but his wife and Ritsuko had become very afraid. Naoko quickly mouthed 'on my mark' to Rei, who responded with a nod.

"Sure was" Sagara said smiling, not noticing Naoko and Rei's exchange "I've gotta hand it to you, it was quite difficult to get in, but once we were, the rest was child's play" His smile faded.

"Now you're gonna help us take over the rest of this building, or else" Sagara waved with his blaster at Yui who reeled back.

"Would you at least let us take Shinji-kun down?" Naoko asked. The ex-techie thought this over.

"Ok" he finally said "get the brat down, but don't try anything funny" Naoko opened a channel to the young pilot.

"Shinji-kun, can you hear me?"

"Akagi-san? What's going on?" Naoko glanced at Sagara and saw that he was discussing with one of his co-rebels.

"Listen" she hissed "Rebels have infiltrated GEHIRN, you need to escape with the Requiem" she decided not to tell him about the dire situation in the control room.

"But what about…"

"No buts! Just go, I'll open the hangar" Unfortunately, Sagara had now noticed what she was doing.

"What the hell are you doing, bitch!" he yelled and pointed his blaster at her "Step away from the panel!"

Naoko quickly pressed the open button to the hangar doors. In an attempt to stop her, Sagara shot her in the arm. The scientist fell to the ground with a gasp, nursing her injured arm. Sagara stepped up to her and pointed his blaster at her head.

"Fucking imperialist, you're gonna die right here!"

"Rei, now!" Naoko exclaimed.

A sizzling sound was followed by a black and red blur, and suddenly Sagara's arm could be found several feet from the rest of his body, still holding the blaster. He stared dumbly at his severed arm and the girl who stood in front of him with a red lightsabre held in both hands. Then realisation struck him and he began to scream.

"Yaaargh! You fucking bitch!" he roared "Kill her! Kill her!" he ordered his two accomplices.

Then all hell broke lose.

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Shinji did as Naoko had said and steered his fighter towards the hangar doors. They were now opening up to an upward going passage several kilometres long, another implication on how far below ground he was.

'_I wonder how big this place really is'_ he thought absently while navigating to the surface.

Several small explosions followed by one big could be heard, one of them shook the whole corridor, causing fire to burst out from the sides and almost made Shinji crash into the walls.

'_If I make it out of here alive, I'm never going to fly underground again!' _Shinji promised himself while spinning through the crumbling passageway.

He had difficulty bringing the Requiem back under his control since it was now being savagely beaten by falling rubble. Alarmingly, he felt a sharp pain every time the ship was hit by the debris. This was making it increasingly difficult for him to concentrate on flying; however, Shinji's hopes were raised when he saw that the exit was now only a little bit away.

'_I can make it!' _he cheered, but was put of when he saw that the exit was near collapsing.

'_Dammit! Go faster, you piece of junk!"_ Shinji focused all his willpower on that single thought and managed to charge outside, seconds before the whole corridor caved in behind him in an inferno of fire and steel.Shinji slumped back into his seat and heaved a sigh.

"I'm saved!" he spoke aloud, as if daring the universe to claim otherwise.

The universe took up the challenge.

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Rei cut the one called Sagara down after he had screamed his last order. A vertical slash to his chest ended his life. His comrades attempted to shoot her with their blasters but were woefully unsuccessful. Rei dodged the lasers shot at her and killed the second rebel by parrying his shots and directing them back into his own body.

The last one tried to escape, he shot a few techies who stood in his way and ran towards the door. He only managed to get a few metres before Rei intercepted him with inhuman speed, slicing into his spine with her sabre.

Everyone in the room except for Naoko and the Ikaris were awed and intimidated by the quiet girl's sudden display of calculated slaughter. Rei deactivated her lightsabre and Gendo stepped up to her.

"Well done Rei" he said with asmile, though the red eyed girl did not seem to recognise the praise.

Meanwhile Yui and Ritsuko were examining the wound on Naoko's arm.

"It doesn't look to bad, Naoko, but we should still try to get you to a doctor" Naoko nodded.

"Yes, I think so to" she gasped.

Gendo was standing in front of a holographic map of the GEHIRN research lab, enlisting the aid of the four remaining techies to figure out an escape route.

"Every exit is either in enemy hands or destroyed, sir" one techie said.

"It also seems that we have been cut of from the garrison, we cannot expect any help from there" another said. Gendo pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Very well then, we shall have to make do with what we have here" a techie with long hair who had up till now stood silent stepped forward.

"If I may say so, sir, nine people will not be able to fight their way out" he began to point out a quite eccentric route on the holo-map. "If we take this way here, we should be able to join with the garrison without much risk of being found by the rebels"

Gendo surveyed the proposed route and tried to find any drawbacks to it. The only one he found was that it would take some time to get to the garrison, but it would be worth a shot. He gave the techie an evaluating gaze.

"What is your name?" The techie saluted.

"Aoba, sir, designated number ASI-5137" Gendo nodded.

"If your plan gets us out of here alive, I think a promotion might be in store for you, Aoba-kun" Gendo turned to Rei.

"Rei, you protect Yui and the others" Rei gave a sharp nod.

"Hai"

Gendo turned back to the techies.

"Arm yourselves" he ordered "even though Aoba-kun's plan should be able to work we don't want to take any chances" The techies pulled out their blasters. Gendo looked satisfied.

"Let's move out" he said.

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Shinji had flown out of the metaphorical ashes and in to the very real fire. He was being chased by four rebel fighters, which for some reason were very similar to the ice-cream speeders around where he lived. True, ice-cream speeders usually didn't fire lasers at you.

'_Damn, I should've asked Akagi-san to tell me how you fire with this thing!'_ he thought and barely avoided a direct hit.

He had taken several minor hits and scratches, all of which he could still feel the pain from.

'_Who the hell makes a fighter where the pilot feels the same pain as the ship?'_ He filed that thought away and intended to ask the elder Akagi once he got back,_ if_ he came back.

The ice-cream fighters were closing in on him. Shinji saw that one of them launched a pair of proton missiles at him.

'_That's it, I'm going to die!'_ He closed his eyes and waited for the explosion which would end his life.

The explosion never came however. Shinji carefully opened his eyes and saw that the missiles had somehow been redirected at the enemy fighters and blew one of them up.

'_What the…did I do that?'_ he shook the thought of _'of course not, you idiot, they probably just malfunctioned or something'_

The loss of their comrade seemed to confuse his pursuers, and Shinji took the opportunity to speed away from them. However he soon ran into another pair of rebel fighters, one subtly disguised as school transport, the other one as a mobile restaurant.

"That's just too weird" Shinji said to himself.

The restaurant began to serve him a hot, energy rich meal. Shinji made a roll to avoid the laser blasts, but ended up just in front of the school transport instead. This time he didn't have time to close his eyes when the transport fired its lasers. Shinji knew there was a very low probability of the laser battery malfunctioning. Just when he was about to be shot into a thousand pieces however, a protective hexagonal field of purple-black energy appeared in front of his fighter, efficiently repelling the lasers.

Shinji couldn't detect what was creating the energy field but he sincerely hoped that it would destroy the two fighters in front of him. As soon as the thought had crossed his mind, the field morphed into a dark pillar of energy and was sent towards the school transport, penetrating it and leaving it to fall burning to the ground far below. Next it went for the restaurant presenting it to the same fate. Shinji stared at the sight.

'_That was just sooo cool!'_ he thought _'but where did it come from?'_ Once it had made the restaurant-gone-wrong close up for good, the dark energy had vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Meanwhile, the three ice-cream speeders which had attacked him before had caught up and were now readying their weapons.

'_Shit! I really wish that energy-ball hadn't disappeared!'_ Miraculously, the purple energy reappeared.

'_There's something really weird going on here'_ the young pilot thought as he was once again saved from obliteration by the hexagonal field.

'_It appears whenever I need it to, as if…'_ a previous thought resurfaced _'N-no way! I can't be the one controlling it! But still…'_ he decided to give it a try.

"Um… destroy the left one" he said it aloud to give the thought some more precision.

The left ice-cream speeder was destroyed in a purple flash. Shinji still had his doubts though. He tried a little more imaginative order.

"Slice the right one in half" Shortly after, two burning halves where falling to Coruscant's surface.

'_Awesome!'_ he thought _'I wonder if I can use the field to crush the last one or something?'_ The purple field formed itself around the last fighter, confining it and crushing it into a sphere of molten steel which was then released. Shinji grinned.

'_Wait 'til I tell Touji and Kensuke about this!'_ he thought as he flew of in search of more targets.

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The small party of scientists and technicians had arrived halfway to their destination, when they encountered the first rebels. It was a scouting party of three, clearly inexperienced, troopers and they where quickly disposed of. This encounter convinced Gendo and the others however, that they needed to be more careful from now on.

"The rebels seem to be close by" he said "Rei" he turned to the girl "Scout ahead and clear the path for us, dispose of any rebels you encounter, but report back if you need to"

"Hai" The girl dashed of through the corridor and disappeared round a corner.

"Sir" Aoba ventured "I know she fought very well back there, but don't you think that this might be too big for her. After all she's only a little girl"

Suddenly, Naoko burst out laughing and everyone turned to look at her.

"Aoba-kun" she said, still laughing "if only one of us where going to survive this ordeal, that person would be Rei" Aoba still looked sceptical but he didn't argue. You didn't survive long in the Empire by arguing.

They continued to make their way towards the garrison, occasionally seeing the remains of people which Rei had 'disposed of'. After quite a while they got a transmission from the blue haired girl.

"Sir, in a major corridor some way ahead of you there is a considerable rebel force, at least twenty, keeping guard"

"Stay where you are Rei" Gendo ordered "We will arrive at your position shortly"

"Hai"

When they arrived near the corridor where Rei was waiting, they tried to come up with a plan to get past the rebels.

"We need something to divert their attention with" Gendo said "do we have any thermal detonators or anything?" Everyone shook their heads.

"Um, sir?" Ritsuko said.

"What is it Ritsuko-san?" Yui asked

"Well, I have a small sample of an explosive substance in my pocket; do you think that would work?"

"We could always try" Gendo said.

It was decided that after Ritsuko had thrown the explosive into the corridor, they would rush in and make short work of the then hopefully decimated and confused rebels. At first the plan worked perfectly. The explosion killed and maimed several of the rebels; the remaining where temporarily blinded by the flash and had hard time breathing through the cloud of gas which had formed.

Rei activated her lightsaber and jumped into the smoke, attacking her foes with unmatched speed and precision. The others shortly followed and shot at the few rebels still standing. From further down the corridor however, several fresh rebel soldiers appeared, lured by the sudden calamity, and immediately began to fire at the imperials.

'_This is looking bad'_ Ritsuko thought as she shot down another rebel. She ventured to see how her mother and Yui were doing, and paled at what she saw.

"Mom!" she cried out when she saw her mother fall to the ground after being hit in the chest by a rebel.

Ritsuko fired her blaster, killing the rebel and ran to help Yui with her mother. Yui was checking her friend for vital signs and to her relief found that Naoko was still alive, though just barely. Ritsuko provided cover while Yui dragged Naoko into a sheltered corridor.

The imperials were now decimated and scattered. Aside from Ritsuko, Yui and Naoko, Gendo and Aoba, the only surviving techie, had taken shelter in a corridor opposite from theirs and tried their best to keep the now fifty or so rebels at bay. Rei was still in the middle of the major corridor, using advanced acrobatics and fencing to avoid being hit and dealing the rebels several casualties.

When Aoba had begun to lose his hope of surviving, imperial storm troopers emerged from a side corridor and engaged the rebels. He heaved a sigh of relief. His relief was cut short though, when he heard Ritsuko gasp after a shot to her left leg.

"Sir!" he called out "We should safeguard the others!"

Gendo nodded and they both prepared for a dash to the other side, when Gendo suddenly saw something small and metallic being thrown into the corridor where his wife treated her friend.

"Yui!" he called out.

Gendo forgot all about his own safety and tried to cross the corridor to get his wife out before the bomb detonated. He didn't make it. Flames spewed out of the passageway incinerating everything caught inside. Gendo stopped dead in his tracks, oblivious of the ongoing battle. Had it not been for the storm troopers creating a protective shield around him, he would surely have been hit. He didn't care though.

"Yui…" he whispered, dumbstruck "no…NO!"

Gendo reclaimed control over his body and entered the trashed corridor, ignoring Ritsuko who lay unconscious by the entrance and the lingering flames which burned him while he sought for his wife among the debris. He soon found two bodies, burned beyond recognition, one which wore his wife's wedding ring.

At the sight Gendo once again froze, and fell to his knees, letting out a howl of loss and despair while tears flowed down his cheeks.

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In the air above the GEHIRN Research Centre, imperial TIE-fighters were now engaging the rebels like a swarm of angry insects. While shooting down the enemy, one TIE-pilot noted a distinct dark purple flash flying in and out of the rebel ranks.

"Shadow 4 to shadow leader, can you see that flashing, over"

"Shadow leader here, yes I do shadow 4, do you recognise it, over"

"Negative, shadow leader, should we attempt contact, over"

"Affirmative, shadow 4"

Shadow 4 fearlessly closed in on the purple flash, fear wasn't in the TIE-pilots' vocabulary, and opened a channel.

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Shinji had found ample more ships for target practice, and had experimented quite a bit with the mysterious energy which he assumed was the Requiem's main weapon. He had flown around happily, taking down ship after ship, and strangely felt very well each time he did. He would take a few hits though, whenever he wasn't paying attention.

He had begun to run out of targets, when he saw that the enemy ships were amassing a few kilometres above him. Shinji altered the Requiem's course and steered towards his new target. He reached the small fleet and began to make hit and run attacks on it, sowing confusion among the rebels. While he did this, he received a signal from one of the TIE-fighters.

"Unknown fighter, this is shadow 4, identify yourself"

Shinji was taken aback by the stern tone of the fellow pilot. He suddenly felt a strong urge to annihilate the pilot of that TIE-fighter. Shinji became disgusted by his own thoughts and firmly rejected the suggestion, unsure as to why that urge had arisen in the first place. He opened a channel.

"Um… I'm Ikari Shinji, pilot of Requiem 01" he said

"Is that the name of your fighter, over" the other pilot asked.

"Yeah, I guess so… I mean that's what they called it at GEHIRN Research Centre"

"GEHIRN? It is a new prototype then, that thing you're flying, over"

"Think so…" The TIE-pilot seemed to digest the information.

"Ok" he, or she, it was impossible to tell, finally said "You seem to be quite good at this, you are free to continue, just don't get in our way and be prepared for further questioning" The communicator went silent.

'_I guess this means that they trust me'_ Shinji took a few seconds to regain his concentration, and then returned to harassing the enemy.

The battle in the skies went on for some time, but gradually the rebels faltered and ultimately most of them choose to retreat, the few ones left were dealt swift punishment by the now overwhelming imperial forces. While he was helped hunting down the remaining rebel fighters, Shinji suddenly felt very uncomfortable, in a way he couldn't really describe, although it felt as if a part of him had gone… missing. Without warning, an image flashed inside Shinji's mind, leaving him with only one word.

"Mom?"

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_To be continued…_

AN: Phew! So, what did you think about the Requiem? I hope the description made it seem at least a little cool.

I also feel the urge to apologise for Yui's death, but otherwise I couldn't make Gendo into the bash-deserving bastard we all know and hate (though I'm going to take it easy on him, at least for now), or make Shinji into the… no wait! That'd spoil a whole lot of stuff. Sorry 'bout that, you'll just have to read the next chapter to find out, though I won't promise it'll be in there, hehe.

And another apology for Rusty Knight. Sorry for making the Alliance look like a bunch of extremists, I'll try to change that in later chapters, they just had to be this way for the sorry to progress in the way I want it to.

Damn, I apologise so much, I start to sound like Shinji! Oh well, enough ramblings, see you next update in another weak or so.


	3. Chapter 2

Okay, here's the latest update, hope you'll like it! BTW I have some answers to reviews at the end if you'd like to check them out.

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

On with the fic!_ (Darth Vader theme plays)_

_**Fly Me to the Stars**_

_A Star Wars/Evangelion x-over by Ausir_

_Chapter 2_

Fires raged across the surface of Coruscant, casting an infernal light upon the high and menacing Imperial Palace. On one of the middle balconies, over a kilometre above the planet's surface, two dark shapes stood in silent contemplation of the chaos and calamity far below them. The shorter of the two, an elderly man wearing a dark robe with a hood shrouding his face, broke into a smile of grim satisfaction.

"Everything unfolds precisely as I have foreseen" he mused. Two reptilian eyes glowed beneath the black hood, whether they were reflecting the flames below, or emitting the ominous light on their own, was impossible to tell.

"Yes, Master" his towering companion responded. This one spoke in a metallic voice, cold and void of emotion, and drew breath in long, dry wheezes.

"The 'threat of the rebels' will now silence any opposition in the senate" the cloaked man said, still wearing his thin smile.

"Master" the human, if indeed human he was, tower inquired "why do we still allow the senate to interfere with your decisions?" His master's expression grew stern.

"Unfortunately" he said bitterly "those fools still retain enough power to somewhat negate my own" The smile returned "however, this incident will prompt them to give me full power in dealing with the rebels. Soon they will have played their part, and we shall rule unquestionably"

"Yes, Master"

The dark pair fell into silent observation of the battles which were still waged between pockets of stubborn rebels and relentless storm troopers. A faint purple flashing could occasionally be seen far in the distance. The tall shadow's body language subtly changed to one of slight uncertainty.

"Master" he ventured "I sense a powerful new presence in the Force"

The old man closed his glowing serpentine eyes in concentration. He too had felt the sudden wave of Force-power emitting from that purple light. The robed man reopened his eyes once he found the source of this intriguing phenomenon.

"Most excellent" he commented. His towering companion turned his helmet clad face towards his master, giving him a curious gaze but said nothing; he knew his master would inform him if he was deemed fit to know.

"Project Requiem appears to be a glorious success" continued the robed one "I am truly impressed that they found a pilot with so much potential" A sound which could initially have been mistaken for a death-throttling but was soon recognisable as a humourless cackle came from the old man.

"This one reminds me of you, my friend, when we first met" he continued "We should make contact with him as soon as possible"

"Should we send one of our agents, Master?" The old man seemed to think this over.

"No" he decided "This matter needs not to be dealt with in the dark. We shall send for him once he is ready"

"As you wish, Master"

The two once again fell into silence, brooding and awaiting events yet to unfold.

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Shinji steered the Requiem towards the nearest platform at the main entrance of GEHIRN Research, the very platform he had arrived at with Captain Katsuragi only a few hours prior. The boy didn't feel any guilt for leaving the ongoing battle in the skies; most of the rebel fighters had been shot down by now and the swarming TIE-fighters would be able to deal with those few remaining. Besides, Shinji had become greatly disturbed by the short vision which he had received a couple of minutes ago. The horrific image of his mother burnt to ashes. Therefore the young pilot needed to go down to the Research Centre, if only to confirm that his mother was still alive.

'_Those things I saw…they can't possibly be true, right?'_ he asked himself, but was woefully unable to produce a satisfying answer.

He found that the fighting on the planet's surface had gone a bit worse for the Imperials than the one in the air. Here storm troopers and rebels were interlocked in a fiery battle, drawing great casualties on both sides. Some of the rebels noticed the black form of the Requiem through the heat of battle and launched their anti-air lasers directly towards it.

The impact shook the sinister fighter. Shinji had not noticed that he was being targeted, therefore he momentarily lost control of the craft, part from the impact, but infinitely more so from the pain caused by several direct hits. The Requiem soared through the air and flew past the imperials among who the pilot had intended to land, instead reaching ground some way behind the rebel frontline, more specifically near a demolished security tower not too far from GEHIRN's main entrance.

The elixir was forcefully ejected in black, steaming sprays through various exhaust holes in the black fighter's hull, and Shinji soon experienced the familiar feeling of having air fill his lungs. This initially made him cough and gasp as his body had become so accustomed to rely on the foul smelling liquid for oxygen. When Shinji had adjusted and was able to breathe normally, the fighter's exit hatch once again appeared on the wall, opening up so the young pilot could go outside.

Putting one foot outside the Requiem, Shinji instantly wished he hadn't. Surrounding the fighter were at least ten rebel soldiers all pointing their blasters and blaster rifles at the young pilot.

"Hands up, kid!" one of them barked.

Shinji was about to; when the mighty doors of the Research Centre flew open in a huge explosion, forcing everyone in its vicinity to drop to the ground. This included Shinji and his would-be captors. The boy however was able to get up faster than the others and quickly ran towards the ruined defence tower. Shinji wasn't actually a coward, but he fully understood that nothing could be gained from fighting when the odds were ten to one.

The rebels soon got to their feet as well and began firing at the fleeing imperial. Fortunately, Shinji was able to jump behind a small pile of rubble by the tower and thus avoided the blaster shoots. His pursuers temporarily lost interest in the lone pilot when a dozen storm troopers ran to the site and engaged the rebels. Once he found that he was safe, at least for the time being, Shinji heaved a sigh and let his eyes venture towards the ruined entrance from whence flames and black smoke now poured out.

Suddenly, someone wielding a blood red lightsabre came jumping out of the inferno tightly followed by a handful of rebel infiltrators. The person with the lightsabre, a girl Shinji accurately guessed by the formfitting black uniform, waged swift fury upon the unfortunate rebels, chopping them up with her lighsabre or using the same to parry her adversaries blaster shots back to themselves. While she did all this, the girls face did not betray the slightest emotion, and the whole time fought in silence. It did not take long for Shinji to realise that he _recognised_ this girl.

"Ayanami?" he gasped incredulously.

Shinji was then abruptly brought back to his own dire situation when a blaster shoot grazed his right shoulder. The young pilot gasped again, this time from pain. This was his first real battle wound, although the pain was very much less than the one he had experienced within the Requiem. Shinji began to search frantically for a weapon, well aware that the rebels who had previously attacked him most likely planned to finish what they had begun. He found the nearby corpse of a security trooper who was still holding his blaster in a tight death grip. Shinji had to use quite some force to obtain the weapon for himself.

'_Hope this thing still works'_ He peaked around the pile of scrap metal and took aim on the closest rebel only a few metres away. Shinji pulled the trigger. A small death cry came from the rebel when his back was penetrated by the blaster shot. The deed made Shinji petrified.

"I…I just killed a man…" he whispered to himself in shock while retreating behind the rubble one again, which provided him with at least some cover.

Shinji knew the man he shot had been an enemy, the Empire's enemy, and therefore his enemy as well, but he was still horrified by his own action. His stunned state and self disgust subsided somewhat though when he unconsciously let his gaze wander to the blue haired girl perform her dance of death.

'_The way she moves… it's really fantastic'_ he noted, quite oblivious to the shots which had begun to sizzle past him.

Rei jumped and leapt, crouched and made pirouettes, parried and sliced. Although the girl was committing the worst single-handed carnage which Shinji had ever seen, her magnificent moves were oddly soothing to watch. Shinji thought it appeared to be more of an art than actual fighting, so delicate and refined. However his musings were interrupted when, completely without warning, a small shining object flying towards the red eyed girl caught his attention.

'_What is…?' _Sudden realisation caused the boy to once again recall the disturbing images he had seen inside the Requiem.

"NO!" both his mind and mouth screamed. At the speed of sound, Shinji leapt to his feet and dashed of towards Rei, paying no regard to the blasts which now filled the air around him.

'_I can't let it happen, I can't let it happen!'_ He repeated the mantra over and over again.

Actually, the young pilot felt little hope of actually rescuing the red eyed girl, seeing as she fought at least fifty metres away from him. He willed his legs on however, filling them with his desire to arrive in time, to not allow _that _to happen. And seemingly at the blink of an eye, he was beside her at the same time as the detonator also reached its destination.

Shinji grabbed hold of Rei, almost losing a limb in the process as her sabre passed by him, and leapt as far as he could. When the explosion came, a fraction of a second later, the boy threw himself on top of the girl, using his own body as a shield. Searing pain scorched Shinji's back, he could feel the uniform melting and burning into his flesh, and nothing could have kept him from howling out in pain.

Finally, the pain eased a fraction when the fires died down, although his back still felt as if it was covered in flames. Shinji looked down at the twin red orbs of the girl whose life he had saved, and for the first time saw a hint of emotion pass over the girls face; confusion.

During the following seconds the world around the young pilot darkened until it became completely black and he fell into oblivion.

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The troopers carefully lifted up the incinerated corpses of Ikari Yui and Akagi Naoko on one bier each. The two dead women had been covered up by white sheets so as to not disturb their remains as per instructions. While the troopers sombrely lifted the biers and walked away with them, their every move was watched by a pair of steel grey eyes behind tinted shades.

Gendo watched with a mix of loss and rock hard determination as his wife and her best friend were carried away towards the mortuary.

'_I will not let it end here, Yui'_ he promised _'I will find a way to bring you back, whatever it takes' _Gendo sighed and turned away, walking towards the exit, wincing slightly from the burns he had sustained earlier. He would endure them though, those injuries could never compare to the pain he felt in his heart.

'_Whatever it takes…'_ he repeated.

The last rebels had been killed or imprisoned by now; therefore the bearded man had nothing to fear as he eventually walked down the stairs of the battered main entrance where a speeder had been parked to his disposal. Gendo jumped into the small craft and activated its engines. Once in the air, he speeded of and disappeared among the high buildings of the capital.

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Shinji felt warm, safe. The pain had disappeared, and he now drifted through a blissful, grey void. He felt as if nothing could ever harm him again. Yet, darkness brewed within his dream, crawling ever closer, until the world around Shinji exploded into fire and chaos. Before him lay the fouled and desecrated corpses of everyone he had ever known and cared for; his parents, his friends, every last one…

"Yaaargh!"

With a scream of utter terror Shinji sat bolt upright. The whiteness pouring out from every direction blinded him as he opened his eyes, but he soon got used to the lighting, and found that he was sitting in a steel bed with white sheets in a whitish-grey hospital room.

After just a few seconds the door to his room opened and two human doctors plus one medic droid rushed in, most likely alerted by his scream. They soon calmed down though once he had assured them he was okay. Now, most other people would have been astounded to be the focal point of _three_ expert surgeons. Hell, in most cases a medic droid would be quite enough. However, in the Empire, the higher up you were, the more doctors you got, and Shinji's family was pretty high up.

The senior doctor, an elderly man with greying hair, proceeded to do some check-ups on his young patient aided by the droid, while the somewhat younger female assistant filed notes on a small electric notepad. The examination wasn't nearly as thorough as the one Shinji had received by the Akagis, for which the boy felt much relief.

"Everything seems to be in order, Mister Ikari" The old man said politely once he was done "I'm afraid you will have to keep those scars though" Shinji became both stunned and confused.

"What do you mean by scars?" he asked in puzzlement.

"Well, you had some quite nasty burns on your back when you were brought here, Mister Ikari" the doctor explained "In fact, we had to put you in the bacta tank for two days" Shinji became even more flummoxed.

"How long have I been here?" he demanded.

"A few troopers brought you in three days ago, just about when the rebels finally retreated…" The slowly returning memories of his first battle made Shinji's stomach turn. However it also remembered him of the person he had last seen before blacking out.

"Um, sir, you didn't receive a patient called Ayanami, did you?" he asked hesitantly for fear of what the answer would be. The doctor looked at his assistant who quickly checked her notepad. After about a minute she stopped and shook her head.

"It doesn't appear so, Mister Ikari" she said.

Shinji heaved a sigh of relief; he had at least been able to save one person. That insight made all the difference in the galaxy for the young pilot.

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The sun shone brightly over the city planet, its warm rays reflecting magnificently off the many tall buildings. Even though it had been attacked only a few days ago, Coruscant was as vibrant with life as ever. Speeders and spacecrafts whooshed through the air and people jostled past each others down on the many platforms. Indeed, the city was perhaps more energetic now than a few days prior, due to the immense repairs which were being conducted.

Shinji absently let his gaze wander through the elevator window and over the busy city. He didn't notice it that much though; his head was full of thoughts. The doctors had told him that no-one had come to visit him during his three days in hospital. Why hadn't his parents visited him? Had something happened to them? Were they mad at him for some reason?

When the elevator stopped at his floor Shinji stepped out and quickly walked the small distance to his apartment. He drew the key-card and went inside the dark flat. Apparently his parents weren't at home. Not that he should have been surprised; they usually weren't home until late in the evenings. Shinji clapped his hands to activate the pre-programmed lighting mechanism. The apartment lit up to reveal the extravagance which Shinji had been used to since early childhood.

'_This is getting creepy'_ the boy thought, a feeling off foreboding spreading in his mind. Shinji had quite a good eye for homely details, and he instantly realised that no-one hade been inside the flat since he left for school three days ago.

'_Calm down, Ikari' _he ordered himself _'mom and dad have probably just been working more than usual… that's why they haven't been home…'_ While he tried to convince himself of this, Shinji walked into the large kitchen and saw the com-screen blinking in its new-message mode.

The young pilot approached the communicator hesitantly, although he would have been hard pressed to explain why. He looked at the screen which displayed two messages. One was a governmental one, most likely for his parents, the other one was from his dad. Shinji quickly opened the later one.

_Shinji,_

_I have been reassigned to Mengel 5 for governmental work; we will not see each other for a while. I leave the apartment to you; all papers are in order, as well as some credits on your account_. _Do not attempt to contact me._

_Gendo_

Shinji stared dumbly at the screen.

'_What the hell is this?'_ he mentally exclaimed _'Mengel 5? Do not attempt any contact? And why would he leave the apartment to me? Is mom going with him?_ The questions buzzed around Shinji's head like angry insects while he tried to make some sense out of his father's cryptic message.

Finally giving up on that task, Shinji turned his attention to the government notice. Perhaps that was his father's reassignment order? If so, it should probably shed some more light on why his father's letter had been so short and unyielding. Thus reasoning, he opened the second message.

The notice was simple enough, it just read:

_From: the Imperial Registrations Department_

_To: Ikari Household, code 239805, _

_Whit our sincerest regrets we hereby inform you that Ikari Yui has died in action while serving her Emperor._

However simple it might have been though, the information blatantly refused to stick inside Shinji's mind. Ever so slowly, realisation dawned on the teen, and with that, the world as he had known it cracked and fell apart.

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Shinji shambled his way to school. He felt completely hollow inside, not just because of the lingering realisation that he was practically an orphan, or at least abandoned, but also since this fact had prevented him from eating or even getting much sleep the previous night. Still, if he didn't go to school, the security would probably beat his door down to drag him there, or to prison. The Emperor was very keen on his subjects to be 'well educated'. Life really sucked.

Once Shinji reached the school and went inside his home classroom, he slumped into his chair.

"Hey, Shin-man, where've you been?" Touji called out from his seat. Kensuke nodded.

"Yeah, we haven't seen you for several days!" he said cheerfully "we almost thought the rebels had gotten you!"

"Meh, he probably hid somewhere they couldn't find him" Touji joked.

"Right in front of them you mean?" Kensuke answered "Those rebels aren't too smart you know"

Both boys laughed. Shinji tried to ignore them; he really had no desire to speak to either of them at this point, or anyone else for that matter. The classroom returned to order once the teacher entered, and the rest of the day disappeared in a slow and dull blur as far as Shinji was concerned. When he talked it was mostly just to give short answers to questions asked to him.

A weak passed in much the same manner. Although he went to school everyday, Shinji framed himself from as much contact with other people as possible. He ate, slept and went to school, that was all.

On the seventh day since Shinji had left the hospital, the boy in question was sitting in class, staring into space, when the classroom door opened and two storm troopers marched in, followed by an imperial officer. A female officer named Katsuragi Misato to be precise.

"Wow! It's that babe!" Touji and Kensuke exclaimed at the same time.

This gained a disapproving glare from the teacher for their disrespect. He would have to punish them for that later, the Empire craved discipline. The 'babe' in question didn't seem to mind the attention very much though, she just flashed the two students a foxy grin, causing both teens to pass out from the resulting blood loss through their noses. Then Misato turned to the teacher who was standing at attention and excused himself for his students' poor behaviour.

"At ease" Misato said "I'm here to fetch one of your students, Ikari Shinji" The old man pointed at the moping blue eyed boy sitting some way back in the classroom. The purple haired captain nodded.

"Shinji-kun!" she called out. Shinji turned his dead eyes to look at the woman. Misato reeled back slightly.

'_Hell, that boy looks like crap!' _she mentally commented but soon straightened up.

"Shinji-kun, come with us" she ordered. Without a word Shinji stood up, took his bag and shambled to the front of the classroom where the troopers and Misato waited. Misato apologised to the teacher for interrupting class and then walked out, shortly followed by the boy and troopers. Once they had gone outside, the teacher sat back down and continued his droning as if nothing out of the ordinary had passed. However, at recess, an ocean of rumours would soon begin to form among the students.

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Misato had been a bit pissed at first when she had been ordered to pick up the same kid _again_. Couldn't the boy just take a cab or something? It wasn't like she had nothing better to do. But when she turned in her seat to look at the teen sitting beside her in the speeder she took pity on him. Shinji was staring blankly ahead, not even disturbed by Misato's reckless driving.

'_Poor kid'_ she thought _'I guess he's taking it all pretty hard'_

Misato of course knew of Yui's death and Gendo's reassignment. After all, they were her superiors, or in Yui's case had been.

Eventually they reached the battered GEHIRN pyramid, landed and went inside. This time Shinji wasn't brought to the lower levels of the research centre, but to a conference room on the main floor. The room was oblong and quite big with two long and arched metal tables which went along the walls. In the middle of the room was a holo-projector. Shinji noticed that Ritsuko was sitting at one of the tables together with a number of officers discussing something or another. Once she noticed their entry, Ritsuko stood up.

"Ah, Misato, Shinji-kun, glad you could join us" she greeted, but sounding quite tired when she did.

"Hi, Rits!" Misato said cheerfully. Shinji said nothing.

"Please sit down both of you" Ritsuko urged them. Once the two had seated, the blonde scientist walked up to stand in front of the projector so as to gain everyone's attention.

"Now, Shinji-kun, I presume you wonder why I had Captain Katsuragi bring you here" Shinji shrugged, he didn't care that much. However, the susurrus passing among the officers clearly told that they certainly wished to know why a kid had been brought to this conference.

"In short, we want to put you on our permanent pilot's list for project Requiem" The boy merely blinked, but the officers were brought into uproar.

"This is preposterous!" one yelled.

"Aye, how could anyone think of letting a _brat_ pilot!" another exclaimed.

"You have some explaining to do, doctor Akagi" a third officer said in a frosty tone. It was clear to Shinji that this person was of considerable rank, seeing as everyone else seemed to quiet down when this one was speaking.

"Yes, Moff Tarkin" the scientist responded nervously.

Shinji heard Misato gasp. Moff Willhuff Tarkin was the officer who wrote the Tarkin doctrine, the notion to rule the Empire through fear, and was known as one of the most cold-hearted and merciless officers within the Empire. Shinji couldn't help but shudder when he felt the Moff's evaluating gaze momentarily pass over him.

"I admit that your prototype is very impressive, doctor Akagi" Tarkin elaborated "However, I cannot see why we should turn such a powerful tool into a plaything for children" The other officers murmured and nodded in agreement.

"Then I shall gladly explain this to you, Moff Tarkin" Ritsuko promised and activated the projector "The Emperor assigned me and my late mother to conduct research on Force-sensitive humans some years ago" A photonic replica of the Requiem now shone above the projector "We found that, using a certain catalyst, a person with affinity of the Force is able to control a fighter up to fifty percent more efficiently than the most well-trained pilot. And since the great Jedi purge, most Force-sensitive humans are very young, ninety-nine percent being born after the event, thus explaining the need for children to pilot it"

"Not as elaborate as I would have wanted, doctor" Tarkin commented "but I guess this will have to suffice. Indeed who are we to question our Emperor?"

"Yes, indeed" Ritsuko said in relief.

"Though I am curious" the cold Moff continued "who was the one piloting the Requiem during the attack a few days ago"

"That would be Shinji-kun" the blonde researcher said and gestured towards the boy who noticeably flinched.

"I see…" Tarkin said while he eyed the terrified teen "And does 'Shinji-kun' intend to continue piloting for his Emperor?"

"Um…yeah, I guess, I mean… yes sir" Shinji managed to stutter. Tarkin held his gaze for a while longer and then nodded.

"Very well then, I hope to see you perform at your outmost, pilot" He stood up and the other officers did likewise "This meeting is adjourned" he proclaimed and then marched out of the conference room with the officers in tow.

"That guy is _really_ creepy…" Shinji said once he was alone with the two women.

"I say" Misato nodded. Ritsuko stepped up to them.

"Shinji-kun, are you sure you want to continue piloting?"

Shinji pondered this for a while. He wasn't quite sure of what to do really, on one side he was absolutely terrified of getting into the Requiem again, for fear of a re-run of what had happened three days ago. On the other hand, his altruism, his desire to help others, prompted him to get into the pilot-seat as soon as possible. True, his feelings towards other people had suffered from his mother's death and especially from his father abandoning him. But now his helpfulness had returned at full strength, together with a new, burning urge to prove himself.

"Yes, I'll pilot it" he finally said. Both women sighed in relief.

"That's good, Shin-chan" Misato said teasingly "'cause if you said no we would've had to kill you"

"Whaaat!"

"Don't listen to her" Ritsuko reassured the boy "Actually, we're very glad that you wanted to stay. Otherwise, we would be stuck with just one pilot"

"Huh?" Shinji asked "Who's the other one?"

"Oh, that's right, we forgot to tell you" Ritsuko said "Your co-pilot is Rei"

"Ayanami?"

"The same" the blonde confirmed. Misato grinned.

"Why, Shinji-kun, are you blushing?" she teased "You're not having the hots for that girl, right? Co-worker relations are strictly forbidden you know" Shinji became as red as the setting sun.

"Ah, no, it's not like that!" he insisted while the purple aired woman clutched her ribs in laughter and mentally patted herself on the shoulder.

'_You're really good at raising people's spirits, Misa-chan'_ she thought _'Shinji-kun seems to be a little better off now'_

Ritsuko sighed.

"Come on Misato, quit making fun of him, we need to get Shinji to the training room"

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Red lasers sizzled all around her; she knew that one wrong move could mean certain death. This did not scare her though, so she took a deep breath and got into defensive stance, swiftly directing the deadly lights back to where they originated, neutralising several of her targets. Then she continued with a high jump into the air, parrying shoots as they came at her, and struck down another opponent. When she landed she retook her defensive stance, once again using her adversaries' weapons against themselves, until she took her next leap and cut through two more.

Rei was performing training pattern Delta; defence against an overwhelming opponent. She took a second to estimate how many of the small flying training droids where left.

'_Around twenty'_ she calculated and took another breath before charging the droids once again.

She would do this quite often, indeed it was what she did almost everyday. The only things she did beside were pilot training, meditation, eat and sleep. It was enough for her though, even though she actually had known little else. That was the will of her master, whom she had to obey.

'_Ten'_,she made another slash.

'_Seven'_, parry.

'_Five'_, pirouette and slash.

'_Two'_, parry again.

'_Zero'_

She deactivated her blood red lightsabre and stepped out of the battle simulation room. Outside she encountered Doctor Akagi together with Captain Katsuragi and…

"…you?" She stared at the timid, blue-eyed boy who stood beside the two other women.

"Um, hi…" Shinji responded, once again becoming captivated by the quiet girl.

"Shinji-kun" said Ritsuko, waking the boy from his trance "Aside from being your co-pilot, Rei is also your new combat trainer"

"Combat trainer?" Shinji echoed.

"Yes" Ritsuko said with a nod "When you're not piloting, you will probably also be assigned to perform ground missions, and then you have to be able to defend yourself in such conditions" Shinji could see the logic in that.

"So, what will she be teaching me?" the boy inquired "Blasters? Hand-to-hand?"

"No" the blonde sad "Lightsabres" Shinji's jaw dropped.

"N-no way!" he exclaimed incredulously "You mean that… that weird thing she used during the attack?" The scientist nodded wordlessly and presented the boy with a black cylinder.

"Take this" she instructed. Shinji frantically shook his head.

"Look, I might be able to pilot a spaceship at first try, but there's no way I could ever fight with this the way she did" Shinji indicated the blue haired girl with a hand gesture.

"You will" Surprisingly, the voice was neither Ritsuko's nor Misato's, but the monotone of Rei Ayanami. The three moved as one to stare incredulously at the girl.

"You will" she repeated, and Shinji blushed.

"I…um, well…I guess I c-could try…" he stuttered and hesitantly took the black lightsabre from Ritsuko. Misato grinned like crazy.

"Shin-chan, you sly dog" she said, prodding the boy in his chest "you really know how to go about it, don't you?" Shinji blushed even more.

"N-no, I don't" he stuttered "stop teasing me, Misato-san!"

"Oh, but it's so much fun teasing you, Shinji-kun" the purple haired woman said, still grinning.

"Rei" Ritsuko said with a tired sigh "take Shinji-kun to training room 01. Get him up to speed on how to use the sabre" The red eyed girl nodded.

"Hai"

Rei began to walk away, stopping only once to look back at the blue eyed boy who was still being mercilessly teased by Misato.

"Are you not coming?" she asked.

"Um…yeah, right" Shinji answered and leapt away from his tormentor and put the black sabre in his pocket.

Rei stared at him for about one more second before turning her head and continued to lead the way down the corridor.

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Training room 01 was in the shape of box, with durasteel walls and dim lighting. Shinji thought it looked extremely dull; he was used from home to every room being well decorated. Though he perfectly understood why one probably wouldn't want to place a rylothian vase or something like that in there, he was still somewhat disturbed by the room's lack of warmth.

He glanced nervously at the red eyed girl standing in front of him. He had wanted to strike up a conversation with her when they walked through the corridors; sadly he had been completely lost for words. And now her evaluating gaze even made it hard for him to breathe.

"Take out your lightsabre" she commanded so suddenly that Shinji jumped in surprise.

"O-okay" He took the cylinder out of his pocket and studied it "How do I activate it?" he asked.

"Like this" Rei said, pulling out her own sabre and activating it, all at the blink of an eye.

"Wow…" Shinji said in awe. He looked down at his own sabre again and saw a small button on it.

'_This must be it'_ he thought. He was just about to press it when Rei grabbed a hold of his arm.

"Wait" she said in her usual monotone. Shinji blushed fiercely at the contact.

"W-w-what is it?" he asked. Rei took the sabre from him, turned it around and gave it back.

"You were holding it the opposite way" she explained "Had you activated it, you would have cut yourself down" Shinji paled.

"Y-you mean I almost…"

"Yes"

"T-thanks" Shinji stuttered "you saved my life!" Rei just gave him her usual stare.

After some hesitation, Shinji finally activated his lightsabre. The red blade reminded the blue eyed boy much of the Requiem, they both seemed to contain some inner, hidden rage and malice. The sabre vibrated strongly in his hands, humming ominously and emitted an intense heat which made Shinji break into a sweat. Rei gave a short nod and took up a defensive stance.

"Now, let us begin…"

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_To be continued…_

AN: Not much to say really… I have begun on the ShinjiXRei in this chapter, although I'll try to take it slow.

By the way, if anyone is interested, I made Mengel 5 up using the name of a well known Nazi 'scientist' who was mad as a spoon. Just giving you a little hint on what Gendo might be working on.

Some answers to reviews:

To Rusty: Perhaps it won't… although I'm not quite sure (gonna let you float around in uncertainty, _hehe_)

To Grievous: Nice touch with that Sith code, but I prefer this one:

_I am the hunter of embracing dark._

_I am the bringer of fear._

_I am the scorner of peace and tranquility._

_I seek to crush the common place._

_I seek to strike terror in every heart._

_I know no passion or pity._

_I seek to be Sith in all manifestations._

To NamelessHeretic: Rei is a dark Jedi, the only two Sith are (at this point) Palpatine and Vader. The other question… well can't really say, that'd spoil a lot don't you think?

To everyone else: Thanks for your support!

Untill next time, may the Force be with you.

Ausir.


	4. Chapter 3

Here's the newest chap, not much to say here at the top, other than that there is some answers to reviews at the bottom, and that I hope you'll enjoy your read.

Disclaimer: You don't actually need me to tell you time and time again that I don't own EVA or Star Wars, right?

_(Emperor's Theme plays)_

_**Fly Me to the Stars**_

_A Star Wars/Evangelion x-over by Ausir_

_Chapter 3_

"…Therefore, in the light of this new threat, I urge the Senate to grant His Majesty their full co-operation in rooting out these rebels who would threaten our New Order."

The pompous senator clad in exquisite robes finished his speech to thunderous applause, during which his hovering seat returned to its place. Emperor Palpatine, clad in his strangely decorated red robes, stood up from his throne in the centre of the circular hall.

"I thank you, Senator, for your most flattering speech" the most powerful man in the galaxy declared "I have the utmost faith in the Senate to give its support in this ordeal. I shall see to it that these separatist rebels will be hunted down and crushed without mercy!" Palpatine raised his arms to receive another row of applause.

Senator Bail Organa was sitting in his own senatorial seat watching the farce taking place in front of him.

'_As if they even have a choice'_ he commented bitterly _'the Senate hasn't had any real power for two decades…'_ In fact, the middle aged man was one of the few old senators who had retained their posts after the closing of the clone wars. The rest was mostly comprised of a bunch of lying and scheming hypocrites who had bought their way up. Bail was suddenly brought from his gloomy line of thought by a small bleep originating in his right pocket.

'_Oh? Another meeting?'_ he thought while reading the short message on his communicator.

Bail quietly snuck out of the Hall of Thousands. None of the other senators noticed his departure, too engrossed in hoarding their praise over the Emperor. In the empty corridor outside, Bail met up with the one who had sent the message, a middle aged female senator; Mon Mothma.

"Did anyone see you leave?" Mothma asked bluntly as they entered a side corridor. Bail gave a small chuckle.

"You're kidding, right? Those fat bureaucrats wouldn't notice the roof crashing in on them; they're too occupied with sucking up to his Royal Highness. Now, why did you want to meet?"

"I wanted to discus the attack Iblis' dictated last week" she said with a serious expression "He destroyed everything we have worked for so long with this reckless attack. We can't have him running around making decisions on his own!" Bail stroked his beard in thought.

"Though you have to admit that he might be right, I seriously doubt that Palpatine will let go of his power just because the Senate tells him to…" Mothma scowled at him.

"You're taking Iblis' side?" she accused "You want to start another civil war?"

"Of course not!" the bearded man assured "but Iblis is leaving us with little other choice." The middle aged woman sighed.

"So much work thrown down the garbage compactor…but I guess you're right. We should disappear too so we won't get caught."

"You could stage your own death like Iblis" Bail proposed "I think I'll stay in the Senate, at least for a while longer. If nothing else I could give the two of you some inside information." Mothma nodded.

"Sounds good, we'll do that." After a bit of thought she added in a whisper "may the Force be with you."

"Same to you" Bail responded and quickly walked back to the Hall of Thousands.

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"That kid has really got a lot of stamina…" Ritsuko said in an evaluating tone. Her purple haired friend nodded.

"I say, those two have been on it for _hours_." Misato furrowed her brow critically "He's not very graceful though."

"Like a wookie doing ballet" the blonde agreed dryly.

The object of the two women's casual comments was displayed by a life sized hologram in the centre of the control room. Even though the photonic replica blurred out the finer details it still showed quite clearly that Shinji was exhausted, the school uniform he wore completely drenched in sweat.

Hours prior, Rei had shown him the simplest moves of what she called Form I, the necessary moves for blocking blasters, she had gone to the side to watch the blue eyed boy repeat them to near perfection. Once the blue haired girl had deemed his initial skills adequate, doctor Akagi had launched the training droids. Rei had then proceeded with instructing the panting boy to block as many shots fired at him as possible with his blade. The girl herself stood at the side, observing quietly.

Naturally, Shinji had panicked once the droids began to fire their lasers and flailed insanely with his sabre at the incoming blasts, every thought of moves and stances thrown out the window. Fortunately, the blasters had reduced strength; therefore his flesh only became covered in bruises instead of holes. It still stung as hell though. And it went on for hours, until every inch of his body was in pain. Not until he was near collapse did Rei give the sign to Ritsuko to stop the session.

The training droids flew away and Shinji deactivated his sabre, after which he fell backwards, hitting the durasteel floor hard. Rei went to stand beside him and gazed down at Shinji's pained expression. When the boy's pants had died down somewhat, Rei opened her mouth.

"Anticipate your opponent's move, don't just react to them" she said without any hint of emotion. Shinji was unsure if she was helping or scolding him.

'_Probably scolding…' _he thought while he with some effort tried to get into a sitting position. Suddenly Ritsuko's voice came through the speaker.

"Okay you two, good work, now I want you to report to the control room."

"Hai" Rei said.

Shinji just continued panting and groaning while trying to stand up and with difficulty dragged himself after the red eyed girl when she began to walk towards the training room's exit. A few moments later the two teens walked, or, in Shinji's case, stumbled inside the control room.

"Now Shinji-kun, how was it?" Ritsuko asked.

"It's… impossible" the boy said in complete resignation. The blonde scientist gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, next time will be easier. We just needed to know on what level your abilities are. Now that we know that, we can make adjustments so that you won't have to get this exhausted every day." Shinji looked both relieved and somewhat worried. Relieved that the following sessions would be easier, but worried over having to train _every_ day.

"I have a suggestion" Rei said.

"Well then, shoot" Ritsuko told her.

"Shoot who?" Rei asked, slightly perplexed. The blonde scientist sweat-dropped.

"Um, what I mean is you should tell us what you want to say" she explained. Rei nodded.

"I see. Ikari-kun should be blindfolded at our next session." This caused Misato to grin mischievously.

"Why Rei, I didn't know you were into that kind of stuff." The blue haired girl cocked her head to the side, apparently unable to comprehend what the captain was hinting at. Shinji on the other hand seemed to understand just perfectly, judging from his impersonation of a human tomato.

"Misato, can't you ever be serious?" Ritsuko asked, rubbing her temples as if she was developing a headache.

"Nope!" Misato chirped happily, causing her friend to groan. Ritsuko then turned back to the red eyed girl.

"Anyway, Rei, I think you're right. I'll fix a blinded training helmet for Shinji-kun until next time." The girl nodded. Shinji, on the other hand, was looking more than a little lost.

"Um, what good would that do?" he asked timidly, Misato's joke still causing him some embarrassment "I mean, wouldn't I be performing even worse if I can't see anything?"

"Well Shinji-kun, it's like this" Ritsuko began to explain "in addition to your five normal senses, Force-sensitives like you and Rei also have a sixth sense, mother dubbed it Force-perception, which enables you to accurately perceive your surroundings. In fact, this Force-perception, if you give it some time, will be far better at detecting things than all of your other senses combined." Shinji tried to digest this information.

"You don't have to worry about this right now though" the blonde said "I'll explain it to you later, step by step. You should go home and rest, meditate if you like, and come here directly after school tomorrow." The boy blinked.

"Huh? You mean I still have to go to school?"

"Yes of course you do" the blonde woman said "After all, people would begin to wonder if you just suddenly disappeared, wouldn't they? This is a top secret military program; we don't want to give people unnecessary suspicions."

"'Sides, it would be hell for us if we'd have to fake your death" Misato added.

"Guess you're right…" Shinji said, although he could distinctly feel the heavy load of work starting to weigh him down.

"Good, now I'll see you tomorrow, Misato will drive you home."

"What do I look like, a taxi driver?" the purple haired woman grumbled, but took the boy home anyways.

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Once he was home, Shinji instantly hit the shower, cleansing his sweaty and sore body with the hot water. When he was done, he made himself a small dinner, since it was too late in the evening for anything ambitious. However, he ate more than he had the previous days. One could discuss if this was because his body craved more in compensation for his intense training, or if he was beginning to come to some terms with the death of his mother. Most likely it was a mix of both. After dinner had been eaten and the dishes taken care of, Shinji prepared himself for bed, when he remembered the advice doctor Akagi had given him.

"Meditation, huh?" he spoke aloud, with some scepticism. "Oh, why not, might as well try it out," he decided, and placed himself as comfortably as possible on the floor inside his room.

'_Now, how should I do this?' _he asked himself.

Shinji had once read a small holo-net article on meditations from different cultures, so he tried to remember what he had learned from that. There had been the comfortable position and the closing of ones eyes, but what next? Focus on some specific object perhaps? He decided to try that one out. He looked around his room to find something suitable for concentrating on. Shinji decided on a small statuette from Mon Calamari. The boy actually had quite some interest in non-human art, although such hobbies were generally frowned upon in the human-centric Empire.

He memorized the statuette's shape and colour with as much detail as possible, and then closed his eyes. In his mind, he began to slowly form a replica of it, starting of with tracing its outlines, proceeding with giving it some depth and finally surface and colour. Now that he had the complete image, Shinji continued to focus on it, all the time with his eyes closed and taking deep breaths.

Had he not had his eyes closed, the young pilot would have noticed that, after the meditated had gone on for a while, the particular piece which he was concentrating on, slowly and gently rose into the air. There it stayed for a while, levitating a few inches above the ground, until it slowly went back into its original position. Therefore, once Shinji opened his eyes, even though he experienced a distinct feeling of accomplishment, he had no idea of what he had performed.

Feeling sleep slowly trying to claim him, the boy proceeded to get into his comfy bed, turning the lights of, and drifting of into sleep.

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Inside her dimly lit apartment, Ayanami Rei was sitting in a lotus position with her eyes closed and her face as calm as always, surrounded by a handful of simple stone bowls containing a strange fluorescent chemical which provided an eerie atmosphere. Aside from the lights, this particular room was completely barren, together with the black walls almost giving the impression of an endless, black void. After a short while, one of the bowls slowly drifted into the air, followed by another and then another. Soon they all floated at different altitudes, and begun to spin around the girl, some fast others slowly, as if where they stars and Rei the galaxy core.

Rei's mind travelled, like so many times before, into her own micro-cosmos, plunging deep into her own thoughts and memories. This daily procedure kept her calm and always completely focused on the task at hand, without the interruption of unnecessary feelings, just like her Master had so many times instructed her. If done properly, she could also hone her abilities by repeating past training sessions, finding faults and learning from them. After reliving some of her training inside the halls of her mind, a certain memory resurfaced from the great abyss where it usually resided. This had not happened for quite some time, and Rei became curious as to which memory it could be.

She pried deeper into it, and could soon hear the soft sound of falling rain. Venturing even deeper, she could discern a small figure, sitting on the cold and wet ground of a village which name she did not know, or more precisely, was unable to recall. The child, as she accurately believed the figure to be, was wearing torn and dirty clothes, and had her knees were pulled up to her chin, while her face was covered by blue locks. Rei found to her surprise that she recognised the child, for indeed it was herself, albeit many, many years ago. The shoulders of her younger self were shaking softly and some water running down her pale legs had not originated from the sky.

'_Am I…crying?'_

Little Rei suddenly noticed a dark shadow looming over her, and gazed up. The shadow was being cast by a tall and ominous figure covered in black robes. The small girl gave a frightened yelp and crawled backwards in fear of the dark figure, her soft skin becoming scraped on the cold and hard ground. When she bumped into the wall behind her, little Rei buried her tear streamed face in her legs and braced herself, awaiting the beating she so often had experienced.

'_Do not fear, child' _a voice called out to her, and little Rei raised her head a fraction to look at the figure._ 'Do not fear' _it repeated and slowly approached her, going down to its knees to get a better look at the girl. She saw a pair of kind eyes, ones which seemed to call out to her, promising her that they could protect her from the cruel world, from those who meant her harm. The figure patted her kindly on her head, smiling, and asked for her name. She began to sob again; explaining that she had never ever had a name, those who would have given her one long gone.

'_Then, would you like me to give you a name?'_ Little Rei stared incredulously at the stranger, as if he was presenting her with all the riches of the galaxy. She slowly nodded. _'What would you say about…Rei?'_ the figure asked. Little Rei thought this over; it sounded nice she thought, and she nodded her agreement. The robed man smiled benevolently. She shyly asked for his name in turn. _'Sidious' _he responded _'My name is Sidious'_. Sidious had then proceeded to drape a part of his black robe over the cold and shivering girl, shielding her from the down pouring rain. Little Rei snuggled into the warm cloak, feeling entirely safe for the first time in her life.

The vision began to blur and eventually disappeared completely. Rei slowly drifted back to consciousness, and as she did, the glowing stone bowls halted their spinning and slowly lowered themselves onto the floor. She opened her blood red eyes, and let them drift absentmindedly over the dim room, before getting to her feet and silently walking out from the dark chamber.

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For the first time since his mother died, Shinji slept relatively peacefully, i.e. without horrible nightmares. Sorrow still struck him though once he awoke, for there was still no-one to bid him good morning or whish him well in school. He was still alone. Shinji heaved a sigh, he was beginning to get used to this feeling. He got dressed in his black and grey uniform, ate his breakfast, saving some for lunch later, and left for school.

At midway, he became intercepted by his two, as always slightly annoying, friends, Kensuke and Touji.

"Hey, Shinji, wait up!" Kesuke called out.

"Man, you seem different somehow…" Touji said with fake wonder.

"You mean like the fact that he responds to human contact?" Kensuke joked, earning a laugh from Touji.

"Yeah, and he doesn't stare at the ground while walking either!" Touji added. The two of them laughed together.

"Guys… cut it out" Shinji said, saddened and a bit ticked off by his friends' words "I… I've had a bad week okay, so cut it out." Both Touji and Kensuke experienced a rare moment of seriousness.

"Hey, Shin-man, what's up with you? You've been all distant recently" Touji asked. Kensuke nodded.

"Yeah, you've barely said a word up 'til now, so what's been going on with you?" Shinji hesitated for a few minutes, the three of them walking in complete silence. Finally he seemed to make up his mind.

"My… my m-mom she…" Shinji felt tears trying to spring from his eyes but fought them down "in the rebel attack… she was… killed." There, he had said it, finally admitting the painful fact… even to himself. The nerd as well as the jock stared incredulously at him.

"But, you know, your dad's still around right?" Touji asked carefully. Shinji shook his head.

"He disappeared to work on a planet called Mengel 5 shortly after… _that_… happened. I was in the hospital then… the bastard didn't even say goodbye."

Shinji had begun to feel a strange mix of feelings towards his absent father. He missed him, of course, that was only natural, and even more so since his father was the only kind of relation he had left. Yet deep inside the meek boy, dark feelings for the bearded man called his father began to brew. Hate, anger, a mindless rage towards the one who would abandon him so easily, who apparently thought him not worth taking care of, or even be near. The boy felt great guilt whenever these feelings emerged, but found them increasingly hard to fight down.

"And I thought my family was hit hard…" Touji said solemnly and then continued "My sis was hurt by an explosion, not badly though, the doctor says she'll be out in a few more days." He looked directly at Shinji "I really feel for you, man." Kensuke nodded.

"Yeah, same here" he said. Shinji began to smile.

"Thanks, you guys" he said truthfully.

"No problem, man" Touji assured him "I mean, what you've been through is even worse than what happened to me and Kensuke here yesterday." Shinji looked a bit confused.

"Huh? What happened?" he asked them. Kensuke shuddered.

"Teach thought we didn't show proper respect for that captain who came and got you yesterday. He decided we should run a few laps around the school building."

"That doesn't sound too bad…" Shinji commented.

"In our shorts" Touji added, also shuddering at the memory "With the whole school staring at us."

Shinji nodded, that actually was a quite cruel punishment. He absently took a glance at his watch, a nervous habit of his. Speaking of punishment…

"Um, guys" Shinji alerted, slightly agitated from what his digital watch showed "if we don't hurry, we'll be late for school." The two others noticeably paled.

"Ghaaah! Run for it!" Touji exclaimed, dashing of with Shinji and Kensuke following suit.

Imperial teachers were very keen on discipline, and every violation resulted in some kind of punishment, either physical or mental. Depending on things such as offence and the teachers own imagination, a student could be subject to everything from electric shocks, public humiliation in front of class, or even a severe beating. In fact, the only restriction was that teachers were not allowed to outright kill their students, although some actually had died from the resulting injuries later on. Others, those subjugated to mental punishment, had committed suicide.

Thusly there was no wonder that the trio now ran inside the school building and into their classroom as if their lives depended on it, since it actually did. Mere seconds before the teacher entered the classroom, the boys managed to sit down at their seats and ease their breathing somewhat. Once the old man entered the classroom, everyone present stood up and saluted their teacher, thus beginning the lesson.

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Shinji was sitting in the back of a black speeder, his new ride to work as of today. Oddly, he kind of missed the purple haired captain. Not her driving of course. Even though he was still slightly depressed he didn't feel suicidal. What he missed was the upbeat, if somewhat embarrassing at times, atmosphere Misato always radiated. The trooper who drove the speeder as well as his companion was anything but upbeat, sitting quietly in the front. Shinji felt very reluctant to open a conversation with either of them, so he kept quiet.

They soon arrived to the now familiar Research Centre, the troopers escorting Shinji to the entrance before turning and walking back to the speeder. Shinji briefly wondered if they were going to wait there for him until he came out again. He figured they probably would. Imperial discipline could quite often reach comical proportions.

Inside the great complex Shinji had to make extensive use of different information terminals to get the general idea of where he was supposed to go for his training. Previously, he had basically been led by the hand throughout the Research Centre, this was the first time he wouldn't have any help of that kind. Naturally, he became lost quite a number of times.

'_Damn, this place is like a labyrinth!'_ he thought in frustration after ending up at a dead end for the umpteenth time.

After roughly an hour of searching, he was finally able to locate the changing rooms where he was supposed to put on his piloting suit. Shinji actually had had no idea why he was supposed to train in the skin tight uniform, though Ritsuko had explained that he should become accustomed to the suit as soon as possible so as to make training more effective. Even though it made perfect sense, Shinji still had some issues with running around in the form fitting uniform while fighting. If nothing else, he reasoned, the enemy would laugh themselves to death.

Shinji opened the door to the dressing room, walked inside and instantly froze. In front of him stood his combat trainer and co-pilot, Ayanami Rei, herself in the middle of putting on her own uniform. It was fortunate that she had her back turned towards him; otherwise, Shinji's head just might have exploded from the incredible blood pressure building up inside it. The boy still got a most flattering view of her silky smooth shoulders and shapely backside though. Rei seemed to be fully aware of the intrusion, and turned her face with the ruby eyes to stare at Shinji.

The girl did not say anything however, and her eyes only showed a mild curiosity. Rei stared into the now shaking young boy's blue eyes for a few seconds, but then turned away and finished suiting up, after which she left the room without a word. Shinji stood in complete paralysis for a few minutes, his brain frantically trying to cope with the event. Finally he was able to bring himself from his stupor and quickly went out of what his dazed brain finally had come to the conclusion of being the _girls'_ changing room, indeed there was even a sign, although Shinji had completely missed it.

While putting on his suit in another changing room, the _boys'_ changing room this time, Shinji mentally berated himself for his incautiousness.

"She must hate me now…" he said to himself depressively. "I wouldn't be surprised if she killed me at today's training". Shinji began to feel great apprehension for the upcoming session. Still, he forced himself to go, reasoning that he had probably hurt the girl by walking in on her. The least he could do was to apologise. After all, just because she was always being so cold didn't mean the girl didn't have any feelings, right?

Standing at the door to the training room, Shinji was desperately trying to calm his nerves. He took deep breaths, swallowed and swallowed again, until finally he could at least move his hand to open the steel door. Inside Rei had apparently begun training without him, fending of a small gang of feisty training droids. Shinji stood and watched her graceful moves, once again having serious doubt of ever attaining her level of combat. Suddenly, Rei deactivated her red lightsabre. When he saw her familiar gaze upon him, Shinji bowed a perfect ninety degrees and began to give his apology.

"Ayanami, I'm really, really sorry for what I did. I know it might be difficult, but could you please forgive me? It will never happen again, I promise."

While the boy continued his apologetic ranting, Rei merely stood and stared at him, seemingly trying to understand what he was doing. Shinji retained his position after his small speech was finished, determined not to raise his head until he got an answer.

"Why did you… apologise?" Rei finally asked, a bit unsure at what to say, although only she herself was able to discern this hesitation.

"Huh?" Shinji said in confusion. This response had been completely unforeseen. He would at least have expected her to know _why _he was asking for forgiveness. Rei did not seem to wish repeating herself however, so after a while Shinji continued. "Um… well, I-I w-walked in on y-you while you were dressing and…"

"…" Rei didn't respond. Before she could decide to do so, a light blue photonic replica of Ritsuko appeared inside the combat room.

"Okay you two, it's time to begin." she ordered, then she noticed the boy's rather awkward stance "Shinji-kun, why are you bowing?" Shinji immediately got upright.

"Well, you see…" he said, but was cut off.

"I don't care, just put on your blind-helmet and get to training. You two are also going to train inside the Requiem later today, so don't slack." Shinji took one of the black blind-helmets which were now part of the training instruments, studying it critically for a few seconds before putting it over his head. He couldn't see a thing.

"I can't see a thing!" he called out, his long time fright of darkness beginning to kick in.

"Don't whine" Ritsuko said irritably "I said that you will be able to sense your surroundings soon enough." Shinji wisely decided to not air any more protests, vaguely wondering if it was the blonde scientist's time of the month.

He pushed those thoughts aside however, when he heard the swishing of training droids flying towards him. He activated his lightsabre, holding the weapon in the correct way this time, and began his training.

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"Damn you Misato…" Ritsuko groaned when the sound of blaster shots began to pour out from the hologram surveillance, intensifying her already murderous headache.

"Hey, it's not my fault you can't handle liquor" the captain defended herself. The two of them had been on an all-girls outing last night, Misato bringing them to one of her favourite drinking bars. Unfortunately for Ritsuko, she had unwisely let her friend decide what to drink.

"It's bloody well your fault for not telling me what you ordered me!" the blonde raged but fell to the ground clutching her head, hurting from her own exclamation. "I'm never going to let you talk me into this kind of stuff again" she whimpered.

"Oh, c'mon now Rits, it can't be that bad."

"Yes it can." Misato sighed.

"Okay, okay I'm sorry Rits! There, forgive me?"

"I'll forgive you if you can keep your voice around thirty decibels…" Ritsuko grumbled.

"Sure!" Misato chirped merrily. Ritsuko groaned; her friend had no understanding of sound whatsoever.

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In the training room, Shinji had now become enough accustomed to not being able to see that he could avoid tripping over his own feet. Avoiding the droids' relentless attacks however, proved to be more difficult.

"Trust your instincts." the instruction came in a soft monotone.

'_I've only been doing this for two days' _Shinji thought _'how can I even HAVE any instincts.'_

Strangely enough, Shinji was becoming better, not so much as to be directly visible, but at least he was able to parry one or two shots. The young pilot's bad self esteem however made him unable to recognise his accomplishments, merely attributing them to dumb luck. Partly because he was completely blinded but also since he was wholly focused on the task, Shinji did not notice his trainers slightly puzzled gaze. Rei stood a few metres away; seemingly evaluating the blue eyed boy's every move even though her thoughts were on a slightly different topic.

'_Why did he apologise?' _she silently asked herself. No-one had ever apologised to her before. Her thoughts were interrupted when Ritsuko's hologram once again appeared in the room.

"I think this will be enough combat training for today, Shinji-kun." she said. Shinji took of his helmet.

"Phew, thanks, Ritsuko-san, I could need a break." he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Oh, you won't get any rest yet, Shinji-kun" the blue tinted scientist assured him "You have pilot training as well, remember?" Shinji soundly groaned.

"Shinji-kun" Misato said when her hologram also appeared, a foxy grin on her face "I thought you'd be happy about getting into the Requiem again."

"Why's that?" Shinji asked suspiciously.

"Why, you and Rei are co-pilots right? That means you two will be _all_ alone inside that cosy fighter." Shinji choked, blushed and glanced nervously at Rei, all in one go, making for a quite humours sight. The hologram of Captain Katsuragi laughed herself silly.

"Don't mind her" Ritsuko said with another tired sigh, her friend's hard laughing resounding like smithy-hammers through her skull. "Just get to the landing platform." Shinji looked a bit puzzled.

"Huh, we're going to train outside?" he asked. Ritsuko nodded.

"Well, yeah, since the hangar is still completely trashed we don't have any other options, do we? Now get going."

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Outside the main Research building, on the windy landing platform, Shinji had his second confrontation with the disturbingly insect-like Requiem 01.

'_It's way creepier than I remember it'_ he thought while fighting down a shudder. Beside him, Rei stood with a completely neutral look on her face.

'_I really wish I'd know what she's thinking about' _Shinji mused while trying his best not to look at the girl too often.

"All right you two, get into the fighter" Ritsuko ordered.

"Hey, shouldn't I be in charge?" Misato asked her hung-over friend. "After all, this is military stuff; you should just be checking the data." Ritsuko sighed.

"Okay, Misato, you're in charge, anyway I could do with some rest" she said, walking away to the observation tower.

"Yay, Misa-chan is now in charge!" the violet haired Captain cheered, making a small happy dance, earning sweat-drops from Shinji and a number of the ground crew. "Okay you two, buckle up!" she said and turned to walk after her friend to the tower.

Shinji and Rei, the boy somewhat hesitantly, began to make their way to the ominous Requiem. Just like last time, a hole opened itself in the Fighter's hull once the two teens were close enough. Shinji shuddered again.

"Don't you think that's weird Rei?" he asked his co-pilot.

"…" the blue eyed girl answered, and got into the fighter.

'_Guess not…'_ Shinji thought and followed suit. Inside they were greeted by the holographic face of Misato.

"Hi you guys!" she said "Now, Rits and I decided that Shinji should be in charge of the piloting while Rei is taking care of the shield and weapons, got that?" Both teens nodded and got their seats, Shinji facing the front and Rei facing the rear.

Strangely, Shinji felt a bit disappointed by this arrangement. During the Rebel attack, the kick he had received by slicing things in half or crushing them into burning lumps of metal by mere will had been almost… intoxicating. He experienced a great itch to have that feeling of power rushing through his body once again.

"Okay, you're both ready?" Misato asked. Both pilots nodded.

"Right, now your mission will be to hunt down all of the droid controlled training fighters. They're all programmed to stay inside the area so you won't have much difficulty locating them." Both pilots repeated their nod. "The droids are programmed for self defence, and will learn your behaviour after a while, so try to take them down quick"

"Yes, Captain" the two teens answered.

"Good. Requiem 01, LAUNCH!"

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_To be continued…_

AN: You know, I'm really not completely satisfied with this chapter, I might in fact re-write it later on.

Anyway, next chapter will probably be much better, since I'll have some pilot-training action, a special guest, and a few other things which will be kept secret for now.

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated, and I'll make a habit of addressing some of them at the end of the chapters, so here you go.

To Rusty: Shinji has been raised as a loyal servant to the Empire, so it's just natural for him to be naïve, although he dislikes some parts of the Empire, like speciesism and Human High Culture. But he'll soon enough be confronted with the world's uglier sides (in fact as soon as in the next chapter I think); we'll just have to see how he reacts to that.

To Gunman: That suggestion 'bout Vader was kind of nice, mind if I use it later on?

People are asking if I'm going to let Shinji join the rebellion later on. My answer to that is: I won't say, since I don't like to spoil too much for my readers.

About Asuka, she will probably appear in either the next chapter or the chapter after that, I don't really know (I haven't even decided on which side she's going to be on).

And I think that's about it. Please review (or flame if you feel like it). I'll be giving you another chapter in, maybe a few weeks, sine I have other stuff to do as well. Oh, and may the force be with you.

Ausir


	5. Chapter 4

You know, I'm starting to believe I have a fault in my time perception. I remember saying that this chapter would take a few weeks, but instead it only took one week. Amazing, isn't it?

Actually, it's because of all the reviews I get, they always convince me to start writing a new chapter directly after I've posted the latest. But I wouldn't have it any other way!

As always, answers to reviews are at the bottom (and I'll stop alerting this since you all probably know that by now).

Last Disclaimer: Yep this is the last one, for the same reason as stated above.

Enough rambling! On with the fic!

_(Cruel Angel's Thesis plays)_

_**Fly Me to the Stars**_

_A Star Wars/Evangelion x-over by Ausir_

_Chapter 4_

"Requiem 01, LAUNCH!"

By that command, the sinister fighter burst to life and seconds later rose to the skies, albeit a bit sluggishly at first. Shinji found that the most difficult part was to link his mind with the mysterious fighter. Once contact had been established however, navigating became much easier, the Requiem responding to the will of its pilot as well as a natural limb. It continued to rise until the pilots, through the fighter's now transparent hull, had an overview of the entire Research Centre area, and a good part of the rest of Coruscant as well.

'_This is really cool'_ Shinji thought, letting his eyes take in the magnificent sight.

Last time he had been sitting inside the Requiem he had been too occupied with staying alive to have any time for taking in the scenery. This time around, it was completely breathtaking and unlike anything else, mostly due to the fighter being almost transparent from the inside, creating the illusion of drifting in thin air. Shinji noted that he didn't seem to experience any fright of falling, even though his eyes told him that there was no support. The boy filed this away on the growing list of stuff he needed to ask doctor Akagi, preferably when she was in a better mood than she had been this morning.

"All right, we'll be activating the droid fighters now!" Misato informed the two teens, breaking Shinji's admiration of the landscape below.

"Roger that, Captain" Shinji said and saw twenty advanced droid star fighters rise from their platform and speed of in different directions.

The young boy randomly picked out one of the fighters and began to pursue it. Once he had brought the Requiem within firing range, Shinji began to focus on sending a bolt of dark energy to destroy the droid. Nothing happened. Shinji mentally kicked himself for forgetting that Rei was supposed to be the one to fire. And soon enough, Shinji felt a powerful energy building up inside the Requiem and a few seconds later being unleashed upon the poor droid in the form of a pillar of dark-purplish energy.

"Nice shot, Ayanami!" Shinji cheered. Rei remained as quiet as always.

"Um… do you see any others?" Shinji ventured, slightly put of by the girl's lack of response.

"…four more are flying into the canyon" Rei said, indicating the vast depression adjacent to the great GEHIRN pyramid. Shinji nodded.

"We'll go after those" he decided and made a sharp turn towards the canyon.

When they entered the huge depression both teens became aware that this was one of the many places the cleanup crews had not yet taken care of. It was littered with great piles of rubble and debris, as well as vast holes in the walls caused by the multiple explosions the Centre had been subjugated to. Even though the canyon's opening was quite large, the quite irregular terrain created deep and menacing shadows. Shinji became increasingly more uneasy by every passing moment, until his nerves where at their very limit.

Without warning, Shinji felt a sharp pain resounding through his body as the Requiem was subjugated to a storm of blaster shots from the four hidden droids. Rei also let out a soft yelp of pain. Shinji strained his mind to its limits in an attempt to regain his concentration and take them out of this situation. Behind him he heard Rei continue to gasp quietly as she tried to cope with the excruciating sensation, and this spurred the boy to augment his efforts. With an explosive sound, the Requiem was brought back under Shinji's control, bursting of some hundred metres at high speed, throwing the boy back into his seat.

"Ayanami, are you all right?" he called out, afraid that the fighter's sudden thrust might have injured the somewhat frail-looking girl.

"I am uninjured." Rei's laconic response was accompanied with the faintest of groans, signalling that she at least was somewhat dazed. Shinji heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness!"

The boy's relief was short-lived though, for the four droid fighters came after them and continued with their merciless attack. This time around however, the two teens weren't caught off guard. Shinji skilfully outmanoeuvred the blaster shots, while Rei shot down the enemies one by one until only one droid of the original four remained. This last one opted for fleeing back to its other comrades, swooping away from the Requiem and towards the edge of the canyon far above.

But Shinji wasn't going to let this one escape, and speeded after the droid in an attempt to intercept it. The cunning fighter tried to shake them of its tail though, by performing daring stunts through the piles of ruined metal, at times also knocking some of these piles down. In fact, if it had not been for Rei keeping the dark energy shield up at all times, the spiky fighter would surely have been crushed by down-falling lumps of durasteel.

When finally the droid erupted from the canyon shortly followed by the Requiem, it had itself sustained moderate damage, which now provided the unlucky droid's destruction. Seconds after they had emerged from the deep depression, Shinji was able to speed past the battered droid, giving Rei optimal firing view. The droid fighter was penetrated by the Requiem's dark energy, thrashing it completely and bringing it to an explosive end.

Shinji had now begun to notice the adrenaline's effect on his brain, making him eager to search out more targets. Even though he wasn't the one to destroy them, the boy still got ample satisfaction from the hunt itself. Had the brown haired boy not been so intoxicated by this thrill, he would have found it odd, or perhaps even scary that he felt so alive from hunting and aiding to destroy. The present Shinji however did not bother himself with such thoughts; instead he eagerly looked around him for more droids. As if on cue, three more targets appeared.

While they engaged the newly arrived droids, neither Shinji nor Rei noticed the white and grey imperial transport which was now approaching the landing platform near the observation tower.

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"Captain, we have received a message from a shuttle demanding permission to land." Misato frowned a bit when she heard the techie's announcement.

"Now who could that be?" she mused, glancing at her blonde friend for some clarification.

"Don't look at me," the blonde defended herself "I have absolutely no idea." Misato turned back towards the techie.

"Have them specify their cargo and intentions, Lieutenant" she ordered. The techie nodded and relayed the request. Once the shuttles response had been received, the techie turned as white as a sheet.

"W-whit all due respect, Captain, but I do suggest we let them land" he said with some difficulty. Misato raised a bow.

"Hm? Why's that, Lieutenant?" she inquired. The Techie gulped.

"B-because, it's Lord Vader's shuttle!" he squeaked. This information caused Misato to pale as well.

"What? You mean the Supreme Commander?" she asked, as if hoping it would be a completely different and less fear inspiring Lord Vader. The techie nodded solemnly.

"Gaaah!" Misato panicked "Let him land! Let him land!" she ordered, while digging around in her uniform for her communicator.

"Troopers!" she barked into the small device once she found it "I want fifty of your sorry asses out on landing platform delta ASAP!" After shutting of her communicator, the purple haired woman noticed her friend's inquisitive stare. Misato grunted.

"You of all people should know that we can't receive the Supreme Commander without _some_ show of formality" she explained and darted towards the elevator while arranging her uniform to conform more to imperial standards. Ritsuko blinked a few times in surprise but then gave a small smile.

'_Say what you want about her, but she does know when to get serious'_ she thought before turning back to supervise Shinji and Rei's training.

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Only a few minutes later Misato stood on platform delta between two lines of storm troopers at attention. Fortunately for her, imperial troopers where very skilled in operating at a short time notice, otherwise the captain might had found herself in a quite embarrassing situation. She felt her mouth going dry and butterflies invading her stomach as the white and grey craft slowly took ground around twenty metres in front of her. For a few eternally long seconds, the dark lord's shuttle was completely still, then, with a hiss of gas being ejected, the shuttle opened its hatch.

'_Don't pee your pants, don't pee your pants…'_ Misato repeated over and over as the boarding ramp slowly touched the ground and she could hear the clanking of heavy boots walking down the metal ramp. She gulped.

Through the steam strode Darth Vader, the dark lord, with heavy steps, his dry wheezes giving Misato chills. The tall lord was, as always, clad in his shining black armour, his midnight cape flowing like a storm-cloud behind him and his skull-like helmet coldly reflecting the rays from Coruscant's sun. Once he had stepped down the ramp, Vader stopped at its base, placing his gloved hands on his hips. Misato gathered her courage and walked up to the most prominent guest.

"Lord Vader" she greeted with a bow "This is an unexpected honour."

"This is no social call, captain," the lord said coolly in his metallic voice. "I am here on orders of the Emperor to evaluate this new weapon of yours." Misato nervously bowed again.

"I apologise my lord, but since we are presently performing a training session with the Requiem…" She was unable to continue as a firm pressure around her neck began to contort her air paths.

"I shall observe this 'training' then, captain." Misato nodded dumbly and immediately felt the pressure fade away, although it left a lingering soreness.

"Let me take you to the observation tower, my lord" she said a bit hoarsely. Vader gave a short nod of approval.

'_This shall be… interesting'_ the dark lord mused as he followed the purple haired captain to the tower elevator.

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The Requiem soared through the air, fire and destruction following in its wake. Even though the droids where fast learners they were still unable to develop any useful strategies at all at this stage, the Shinji-Rei combo taking them out before they even had a chance to process the new data. Shinji was almost in a state of euphoria, the experience of gliding through the air unhindered, the surge of energy every time Rei made her calculated attacks, and the sight of burning metal, all contributed to this feeling.

As another five droid fighters prepared to make their stand, Shinji was cast out of his revelling when the enemy was once again able to penetrate their defences through the sacrifice of one of their own. The droids had become fully aware that Rei was unable to keep the shield functional and attack at the same time; therefore, while one fighter was targeted and destroyed, the remaining four fired everything they had at the Requiem.

The previous feeling of euphoria was replaced by the all too familiar experience of pain. Even though the basic plan was a repetition of the scenario in the canyon, the droids now took measures to avoid repeating their previous mistake. The fighters kept a short distance, continuously moving around their thorny adversary so as to not make easy targets. In addition, they held the formation in such a way that Shinji's previous escape tactic, using his anger to fuel the fighter and burst out of attack range, was rendered useless.

The young pilot felt his frustration rise; he wanted to break free but was unable to do so. A dark power began to amass within him, concentrating and growing stronger by each passing moment. So engrossed was he in this work that he at first was unable to detect a second process taking place, with Ayanami Rei as its focal point. However, while Shinji's power was strong, his lack of focus soon made it impossible for him to continue, and the energy dispersed. That was when he noticed Rei's slow but unbreakably steady amassing of energy, creating a mysterious dark light within the fighter.

Soon, the energy formed a powerful aura which encircled the whole Requiem, yet unlike the regular shield, this dark energy continued to grow. Another difference was how it treated the droids' attacks; instead of merely reflecting the blasts this dark aura _absorbed _them, adding them to its own energy, making it stronger after each hit. Suddenly, in a flash of black and purple energy, the field expanded explosively and rammed forcefully into the four droids. In the same way an insect confronted with the window of a moving speeder, thus the droids were crushed against the rock hard energy field.

"Eleven" Rei said quietly.

"Come again?" Shinji asked, still a bit dazed.

"Targets left" the girl elaborated, and then fell silent once again.

'_I wonder why she's always so quiet, it kind of creeps me out'_ Shinji thought before regaining his control of the Requiem and speeding of once more.

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"Impressive" Vader commented as he saw the Requiem destroy its sixteenth target.

"Thank you, lord Vader" Ritsuko said. Misato said nothing, but kept casting scared glances at the tall armoured man as she absently rubbed her sore neck.

The three of them had been quietly observing the two pilots struggling with keeping themselves alive for nearly thirty minutes. Vader had taken place beside the blonde scientist at the observation terminal, so that he was also able to take quick glances at the technical data. Misato was standing a few metres to the side, quite unwilling to be too close to the intimidating lord.

"Your new fighter seems to be all you promised it to be," Vader continued "but I sense some inefficiency in the pilots' actions." Ritsuko began to fidget.

"Well, my Lord, that is because the two of them are largely inexperienced. Rei has only before trained in simulations, and even though she is quite adept, a first time is always difficult. As for Shinji-kun, this is only his second time piloting the Requiem, without any previous training."

"I see," the tall lord said ponderously "who then was it who piloted the Requiem during the rebel attack?"

"That was Shinji-kun." Vader now turned his masked eyes to look directly at the blonde woman, who barely resisted the urge to back away.

"So, at first try, that boy single-handedly decimated a great part of the rebel fighters, and with a craft which demands its pilot to be highly Force sensitive?" Ritsuko nodded. Vader once again turned to look at the explosive spectacle taking place in the air.

"Most impressive" he said with satisfaction. As he did, the Requiem destroyed its final opponents, and after a final victorious swoop began to make its way back to the landing platform. Vader turned and began walking towards the elevator. Misato and Ritsuko exchanged quick glances before running after the dark lord.

"My Lord, are you leaving?" Ritsuko asked, trying not to sound impolite.

"No, I wish to meet with the pilots in person" the dark lord responded as he entered the elevator.

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When they landed on the platform, Shinji once again began to gasp and choke when the elixir drained away and left him only with dry air to breathe. He had expected Rei to do the same, but the girl once again surprised him by only breathing hoarsely for a few moments before returning to normal. The hatch soon materialised in its usual way, letting light and sharp sounds pour into the vessel. It was slightly uncomfortable at first, but Shinji's eyes and ears soon adjusted and he was able to step out, soon followed by Rei.

Outside they were confronted by several people working fervently with different tasks. Three figures stood silently in the midst of it all, only a couple of metres away from the fighter. Two of them the boy recognised as people he knew, Misato and Ritsuko. The third however was familiar in a completely different way. Shinji's eyes almost popped out of his head as he beheld the imposingly tall and armoured figure of the Imperial forces Supreme Commander, Darth Vader. The tall lord slowly walked up to the flabbergasted boy, halting less than a metre from the young pilot.

"You are this fighter's pilot?" Vader said, more as a statement than an actual question. The boy nodded dumbly. Vader then turned his electronic eyes to Rei who had gone to stand beside Shinji.

"And you were the gunner, correct?" The girl responded in much the same way as her co-pilot had, though without the obvious display of shock. Vader seemed to hold the teens under an evaluating gaze, although it was impossible to tell due to his concealing helmet.

"This display has been most interesting," the lord finally said "I will be expecting great things from the two of you." With that he turned and strode back to his awaiting shuttle.

"What was that all about?" Misato whispered to Ritsuko once she thought Darth Vader was out of earshot. Ritsuko let her eyes travel from the shuttle, which was now rising slowly to the skies, to the two teens still standing by the Requiem.

"I'm not entirely sure…" the blonde woman began hesitantly "but I think that our project is likely to receive full governmental attention." Misato looked confused.

"Do you mean that in a strictly controlling way, or in a raised-funding way?" she asked, clearly hoping for the latter to be the answer. Ritsuko sighed.

"I'd say probably a slice of both."

"Oh" Misato said slightly disappointed.

"You know…" Ritsuko said, while looking at the near-setting sun "after we finish things here, lets go take another drink at that bar we went to last night. I have a feeling I'm going to need it." Her purple haired friend lit up.

"Sure! And I promise I won't by you the strongest drink on the list this time!"

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While the shuttle began to transport him back to the palace, Darth Vader sat in deep thought on his throne-like seat. This visit had indeed proven most beneficial. He had had the chance to observe two very interesting individuals, each in their own way. The boy, he sensed, had an enormous amount of force potential, one which could perhaps one day rival that of the greatest of the old Jedi. In addition, the young pilot's fear and anger, although quite well hidden, could turn him into a most powerful servant to the Dark side. Turn him into a servant to _him_, Darth Vader.

Though the dark lord was technically an apprentice to his Emperor, he did not intend to be so for much longer. He had felt his master's growing disappointment with his 'most trusted servant', as well as the old man's desire to find someone more appropriate. Someone who was not a torn carcass confined within a black prison. Indeed this was the way of the Sith, a master had the power to dispose of his apprentice should he so desire. Yet likewise, should the apprentice be able to, he could usurp the power of his master. 'One to embody power, and one to crave it', that was the rule.

This was where the young Ikari came in. The dark lord was convinced that alone, he could never better his master; the Emperor was much too powerful. Yet with a loyal servant, hidden from Palpatine's eyes until the crucial last moment, Vader just might be able to take the old man down.

Yet, while the boy intrigued the dark lord, the red eyed girl had greatly disturbed him. He could feel that she was the one who instructed the boy, and this could pose a problem to the lord's future plans. Also, Vader had felt the distinct, although faint, influence of his own master on the girl. The faintness of the sensation however made it clear that she had not been in the Emperor's presence for some time. Apparently she had undergone some form of training, but had for some reason been discharged, though she evidently still served some purpose.

'_This could be even more favourable' _Vader thought. Indeed, if he could gain the boy as well as the girl as his servants, their combined power would be impossible for the Emperor to cope with.

Yet, this scenario would have to proceed carefully if it was to succeed. At the slightest error, the Emperor would surely notice the treacherous plans his apprentice was harbouring. As they neared the palace, Vader carefully sealed all these thoughts away, the only trace being hidden by the normal hate he felt towards his master. This would not create any suspicion with the old man, because most master-apprentice relationships in the Sith order were ones of hate and distrust.

Feeling secure with his mental shield, Vader now began to prepare himself for the impending meeting with his master.

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Shinji was still in a state of shock as he reached the underground locker rooms. He had been praised by the Supreme Commander himself! That was something so rare and original that Shinji found it quite unbelievable, even though it was barely ten minutes since it had transpired. He numbly stripped out of his rubbery uniform and got into the showers to wash of the drying elixir. The black liquid was bad enough to be drenched in, but once it began to dry, it was almost unbearable. It became more like black slime which clung to the body, and combined with his sweat gave of an odour similar to that of an open sewer. Also, it stung lightly in the eyes and left a quite nauseating after-taste in his mouth.

Shinji was therefore more than happy to now have the warm water pouring over him, washing away not only the foul elixir, but some of his tension as well. According to Shinji showers where one of the greatest inventions in the galaxy, second only to mobile headphones. He took his time, not emerging until roughly thirty minutes later. He dried his body with the black and white official Imperial Towel TM, and took out his grey school uniform. While he dressed he absently began to wonder if Rei also went to school. She had to somewhere, right?

He finished dressing, put on his casual shoes, grabbed his bag and walked out of the locker room. And then he stopped. Once again the blue haired girl stood in front of him, and once again her ruby eyes pierced his soul. Rei wore a casual black uniform somewhat similar to Misato's, although much more prudent. She appeared to have stopped in her tracks, because even though her face was directed at him, her feet pointed straight down the corridor.

"Ah…um, Ayanami…" Shinji began. Rei now redirected her body so she now stood casually in front of the nervous boy, giving him her full attention. As for Shinji, he was now entering his mental distress mode.

'_Gaaah! What am I going to say? Nice job Ikari, calling for her attention without anything to say! You really know how to socialise, don't you?' _While the boy's brain frantically sought for something to say other than 'um', he became quite stunned when his ears registered what seemed to have been Rei talking

"Um, what did you say?" he asked, half expecting her to get mad at him for not paying attention.

"Why did you apologise before, Ikari-kun?" she repeated. It took a while for Shinji to gather what she meant, but when he did he instantly blushed and began his usual incomprehensible stuttering.

"Um…well, you know… I k-kind of saw you n-n-naked a-and, gaaah, I really didn't mean to…!" While the boy continued with his rambling and occasional bowing, Rei furrowed her brow unnoticeably in thought.

What information she gained from the boy was actually quite difficult for the quiet girl to comprehend. She knew that many species would ask for forgiveness when they unwittingly had harmed someone. However, her master had taught her that apologising and excuses where things only weak people bothered with. None of these criteria fitted with this scenario though. The boy had not inflicted any kind of damage on her, and neither could he be considered weak, somewhat untrained, yes, but by no means weak. Yet, he apologised, and she was uninjured.

"I am uninjured" she said quietly, as if this would give her an instant answer. Shinji stopped his stammering and looked at Rei, and instantly seemed to understand what the girl could not.

"Maybe so," the boy said, pity and self disgust in his voice "but I invaded your privacy… that is enough reason to tell you I'm sorry."

Invaded her privacy? That was a foreign concept to her; she had never had any privacy which she had been aware of. Yet this boy seemed to think she had one, and that he had somehow violated it. This made something stir deep within her, something she was unable to identify, although it brought with it an odd feeling.

"Apology…accepted" she said suddenly, somewhat uncertainly. The boy broke into a thankful smile.

"Thank you, Ayanami!" he said, bowing at the waist. "It will never happen again, I promise!" But his assurance did not reach Rei; since the girl had walked away the instant she had said her final line. This made the meek boy somewhat uncertain as to whether the girl really had forgiven him, but the truth was something completely different.

Rei walked at a quick pace towards her meditation chamber at GEHIRN. The odd feeling had _grown_ slightly when she accepted Shinji's apology, bringing her as close to actual worry as she was currently able to come. She felt that this was not part of what her master expected of her, and that it would need to be dealt with as soon as possible.

She soon reached the black chamber and placed herself as comfortable as possible on the steel floor, and began to concentrate.

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"What is thy bidding, Master?"

Darth Vader was kneeling in front of his Emperor inside one of the smaller audience chambers. 'Small' was however not something which could be used to describe the huge, cathedral-like room. Great pillars carried the wide roof high above them and the walls were decorated with obscure pieces of ancient art, many of which radiated strong, dark auras. From a hidden speaker system, rumbling, ominous sounds and voices from the darkest parts of the galaxy poured out into the imposing chamber, creating a most sinister atmosphere.

"Tell me your impression of project Requiem" the cloaked man commanded from his black throne.

"The fighter itself is a most impressive design," Vader began "and the two pilots, especially young Ikari, have shown great potential." Palpatine smiled grimly.

"Just as I have foreseen" he proclaimed self-confidently.

"Yes, Master."

"Further, they should be allowed to train uninterrupted for… a month I believe," the old man closed his eyes as he sought the future within the Force "then I shall send you to supervise their first mission in the service of the Empire" he concluded and re-opened his yellow eyes.

"_I_ shall, Master?" the cyborg inquired.

"Yes, lord Vader, you shall." Palpatine once again closed his eyes "I have foreseen that this will make them grow at the most favourable pace."

"What is to be the objective of this mission, Master?" The old man smiled.

"I will let you know as soon as you need to, my friend." With this, the Emperor's throne spun around, indicating that this audience was over. Vader got to his prosthetic feet and marched out of the great chamber.

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A few weeks passed. Rather quickly in Shinji's opinion. His life had returned to a rather predictable rhythm once again, he went to school six days a week and every afternoon he went to GEHIRN for his training sessions. Nothing new actually happened, aside from that he was slowly picking up on his lightsabre skills. The boy didn't complain however, he was actually quite fond of routines, and after getting used to being the only resident of his flat, he found that he was quite fond of solitude also.

Even though he would give school second priority nowadays, he still found that his grades were getting better. Once, he had been able to ask doctor Akagi about this, and she had responded by asking him if he meditated regularly.

"Um… yeah I do," he had answered "but what does that have to do with school?" Ritsuko had merely smiled at him, the way one smiles at a dog who thinks you have thrown a stick for it when you're actually hiding it behind your back.

"Meditation actually enhances many skills, Shinji-kun," she had explained "Some of these are required when you pilot, others when you fence, and others yet aid you in school. It's as simple as that."

The boy had gotten the distinct feeling that he was just supposed to accept this without question. After some mental debating he came to the conclusion that it would be for the best. After all, he probably wouldn't understand the real explanation anyway.

Another thing which insured that Shinji's life never became too boring was his immediate superior's relentless teasing. The boy had actually hoped that Misato would become a little more serious as time passed, but it was now becoming evident that this was not to be the case. If anything, her teasing only became worse, if something like that was possible.

One notable example was when Rei was about to teach Shinji a Force technique called Mind Trick. Supposedly this would enable the user to persuade a person into different actions. Naturally, Misato found this to be excellent teasing material.

"Remember Shinji-kun," she had said in a mock-serious tone "it's not fair play to use this in school, your classmates probably has enough difficulty getting girls as it is without you taking all of them for yourself." Predictably, Shinji had reacted in exactly the way Misato had wanted. First he turned pale and then crimson red, followed by embarrassed stuttering.

"I-I w-wouldn't do t-that, Misato-san!" he insisted, while the purple haired captain laughed and clutched her ribs. And, as if she was not completely satisfied with the results, Misato had set in for another killer blow.

"Oh, I believe you Shinji-kun," she said reassuringly after she was able to stop laughing "after all, you'd only be using Mind Trick on Rei, right?" More blushing, more stammering, and certainly more laughter followed.

That time around, Rei had been the one to save Shinji from further teasing, by asking one of her standard monotone questions.

"Why would Ikari use Mind Trick on me?" Of course, this simple inquiry had forced Misato to at first attempt to explain the joke to the blue haired girl. But Misato did not belong to the category of people with the ability to explain what she herself thought to be obvious. Therefore the purple haired woman had quickly resigned, and they had been able to resume training.

Aside from the Mind trick, which he was still having problems with, the young pilot had become somewhat adept with lightsabre Form I, enough to be able to parry more than fifty percent of the training droids' attacks. Also, Ritsuko had instructed him to try to perform 'magnified leaps', whatever that meant…although after Rei had shown a few, the boy gathered that it was a technique to jump higher than humanly possible.

Indeed, it was training in this technique which had been scheduled for this day, roughly four weeks after the training with the droid fighters, and which Shinji was running late for. Even after more than a month, Shinji was not quite certain as to which corridors led where, therefore he had once again lost his way within the maze-like complex.

'_Oh, man…'_ he thought glumly.

Ritsuko was bound to scold him for his lateness, and Misato would probably tease him by saying something along the lines of 'Shinji-kun, have you been out chasing girls again?' or something like that. As he desperately tried to find his way back to a main corridor, a small buzzing in his pocket reminded him of the small communicator which he carried with him. He switched it on while cursing himself for not thinking about using it earlier.

"Hello?"

"Shinji-kun, this is Misato, we've had a change of plans, please report to conference room 6122, block 74." The captain sounded slightly agitated while she spoke, yet before Shinji was able to ask her what was going on, Misato had closed the link once again.

By some strange twist of luck, the conference room actually was situated only a few metres down the corridor Shinji had been following, therefore it only took him the blink of an eye to get there. He cleared himself with his piloting card, and the doors hissed open. Shinji nervously stepped into the conference chamber.

The room was quite small, and completely circular, with a round and blank table in the middle and another door at the opposite end. Around the table stood Ritsuko, Misato, Rei, as well as an elderly officer who Shinji hadn't met before. As soon as he entered, they all turned to look at Shinji, except Rei who merely let her eyes shift in his direction. Ritsuko stepped up to him.

"Shinji-kun, you're here, good" she said and led him to the table. "First I'd like to introduce you to Admiral Fuyutsuki from Alderaan." The old man gave Shinji a salute which the boy returned somewhat awkwardly.

"I'm glad to finally meet the hero from the rebel attack in person" Fuyutsuki said, giving the boy a crooked smile.

"Um, I didn't do that much, really…" Shinji said a little surprised.

"Perhaps, but isn't it the small things we do that creates the greatest difference?" the old admiral said with conviction.

Just then, the door at the other end of the room hissed open, and Lord Vader strode inside. The atmosphere inside the conference seemed to cool down quite a bit, Ritsuko stiffening and Fuyutsuki looked as if he was about to have a cardiac arrest. Even Misato sobered up noticeably. In fact, the only one who didn't appear to be absolutely terrified by the dark lord was Rei.

Vader walked straight up to the table, which flashed to life, revealing a holographic map of the galaxy. Without a word, Ritsuko used the control panel to zoom in until the image was fixed on a small blue planet.

"Pilots Ikari and Ayanami," Vader began "the Emperor is most pleased by the amount off progress you have reportedly achieved during this month. The Emperor therefore feels that you two should now be sent on your first mission." Everyone present was evidently surprised, Shinji possibly the most, although it was Ritsuko who voiced her objection.

"With all due respect Lord Vader, but I believe the pilots to be too…Gahk!" Her protest was interrupted by Vader's powerful Force grip on her throat.

"You are fortunate to be a valuable asset to the Emperor, doctor Akagi," the lord said coldly, as the blonde woman began to claw at her lab-coat's collar "therefore, I shall leave you be with this warning. However, you would do best to remember your place henceforth, do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes…" Ritsuko managed to choke. Seconds later she fell to the floor, violently gasping for air.

Reactions were quite different in the small room. Misato made a face of pity and absently rubbed her own neck in remembrance of her own clash with the lord. Fuyutsuki did his best to pretend that nothing was amiss, although it clearly pained him to do so. Rei was stoic as always. As for Shinji, the only thing stopping him from lashing out at his Supreme Commander was his powerful and well-developed sense of self preservation. Yet, the boy also found that, for some reason, he began to _admire_ the dark lord, even though his actions and coldness made the boy feel slightly ill. Vader himself could have cared less what any of them thought.

"If that is settled then, let us resume this briefing…" he said calmly.

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_To be continued…_

AN: This chapter came out much better than the previous one in my opinion; I managed to cramp in all the stuff I wanted, and I hope you all liked it as well.

The planet shown in the hologram is -------- (Ha! You thought I was gonna tell, didn't you!). You're free to guess on it, I'd like to see if anyone thinks the way I do.

Also, next chapter will introduce Asuka, and I've also decided what she is going to be (not a different species, more of a… profession) and which side she'll be on. Give any wild guesses you want, I dare you! None of them will be right. Once you see what I've made of her you'll probably first go WTF? And then (hopefully), go 'way cool!' or something.

To Konous: Thanks for the hallelujah! I really needed that, I actually had to read through the whole fic a couple of times to get to all the spots needing proper punctuation. Also thanks for pointing it out to me in the first place.

To Gunman: I hope this chapter explained a little bit of what I like to call 'Misato's split personalities' (also evident in EVA) which enables her to avoid being sacked. Later on I'll be showing how she could get her position in the first place. Oh, I almost forgot, I hope you liked the way I used Vader in this chapter, perhaps not all what you had in mind, but it's my fic after all, _hehe_.

Also I don't think I'll spoil too much if I tell you that according to Expanded Universe, Palpatine created his own little secret army of force users, and Rei is one of them. Palpatine didn't think she was anything special really, although he's going to learn just how wrong he was later on (wicked grin).

To Zeroeye: Sick? I hope you mean that in a good way…Anyway as a matter of fact this story will crossover with the movies (4, 5 and 6 to be more precise), although somewhat later on, at the present it's still three years before battle of Yavin. Actually, this will make the EVA kids around the same age as most of the main characters in SW, crossover relationships anyone?

To everyone else: Thanks for your support! (Forgot to put this one in last time),

And may the Force be with youuuuuu!

Ausir.


	6. Chapter 5

Yes this chapter took quite some time to do (you can't imagine how many drafts I made!), though I hope it was well worth waiting for!

On with the fic!

(_Digs around in his CD box_) Oh, what to play, what to play? (_ponderponder_) Meh, this'll do.

(_Droid Invasion/Appearance of Darth Maul_ plays, because it's a cool theme, not because the names got anything with this chapter to do)

_**Fly Me to the Stars**_

_A Star Wars/Evangelion x-over by Ausir_

_Chapter 5_

Stars shone brightly through the endless light-years. Below, the electric lights of the city-planet shone with equal prominence. Shinji stood on the command deck of Admiral Fuyutsuki's personal star destroyer, the _Ramiel_, literally staring into space. The young pilot had never been off Coruscant before, so this would be his first trip through space ever. As he absently tried to count the endless dots of lights he knew were actually stars several times bigger than his home planet, Shinji reflected over the mission he and Rei had been given only a few hours ago.

Apparently, the Imperial Intelligence Bureau had finally discovered the identity of the vile mastermind behind the rebel attack on Coruscant, a man in his late thirties by the name of Garm Bel Iblis. He had earlier been a Corellian senator, but had left the senate and faked his own death shortly after the ascent of the Empire. Through the course of several years, he had been sowing lies and discontent among the people of the Empire, gaining a considerable following, intent on crushing the New Order. The attack on the capital had been the final point of his plans, but the Emperor believed that, should he be allowed to run free, Iblis would continue to cause instability in the Empire.

This was where the two pilots came in. Their mission was to find and bring Bel Iblis to justice for his crimes against the state. Shinji felt an unusual surge of anticipation by this thought. He was to hunt down the monster that had been responsible for crushing his family. Maybe after they had captured him, the young pilot mused, he would be able to feel more at peace with his loss, though a part of him knew that the pain would never go away.

In the middle of his brooding came unsought thoughts of his companion for this mission, Rei. From what Shinji had gathered, they would only have minimal contact with the _Ramiel_ once the mission had begun, leaving them to fend for themselves. Perhaps he would be able to get to know the ruby eyed girl a little better, without the threat of Captain Katsuragi's teasing looming over him. As he stood there by the window, splitting his time between counting stars and thinking, the boy suddenly heard two sets of officer's boots walking up behind him.

"Shinji-kun, wake up!" Misato called out and smacked the boy playfully on the back of his head.

"Ouch! That hurt Misato-san," Shinji protested "and I wasn't sleeping!"

"You sure looked like it with that faraway look of yours," the captain said, her trademark grin beginning to take shape "wait, don't tell me, you were thinking 'bout Rei again, right?" Shinji blushed as per usual at the insinuation. What Misato didn't know, and hopefully would never learn, was that this time around, she actually had been right in her assumptions. Beside the purple haired captain, the other pair of boots, Admiral Fuyutsuki, gave a small chuckle.

"I think he's just being a bit nervous over his first mission," the grey haired admiral said "we're all like that in the beginning." Misato shrugged.

"Yeah, that could be it" she admitted. "He seems to handle it better than I did though," the purple haired woman continued "I remember I was shaking so much I could barely move on my first shock-assault. Anyway, Shinji-kun," Misato turned towards the young pilot once more "you ready for the Big Jump?" Shinji gave her a quizzical look.

"Um, what's the Big Jump?" he asked, somewhat dreading what the answer might be.

"The jump to hyperspace of course," Misato chirped "we're taking it in only a few minutes, so you'd better brace yourself." For the first time, Shinji saw an opportunity for some small payback for the rigorous teasing he had received under the female captain.

"Well, it can't be any worse than your driving, Misato-san" he said and gave her a weak smile. Misato stared incredulously at the boy for a few moments, before starting to laugh.

"Hahaha… Shinji-kun, I didn't know you had a sense of humour!" she said and ruffled his hair. Meanwhile, Darth Vader marched out on the bridge, putting an end to any and all playful behaviour. He turned menacingly to the command crew, giving the order for the jump to light-speed. A male technician heralded the countdown.

"5…4…3…2…1…entering hyperspace!"

Shinji directed his eyes back to the stars, just in time to see the shining dots rapidly grow into stripes of white before disappearing completely and being replaced by a bluish grey light as the ship entered hyperspace.

"That… was pretty damn cool…" he said.

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The star ship blasted out of hyperspace, ending up a few kilometres away from its destination, the industrial planet Corellia. To say industrial would be somewhat misleading though, since the planet's surface was rural for most part, with large seas, lush forests and farmlands being the dominating features of the world and most of its renowned industries being placed in high orbit. The sloop closed in on the blue planet, letting its elaborate plating bathe in the light of the system's sun.

The incoming craft was streamline formed with a set of sharp wings and neatly decorated, coated with bronze and copper, with a hint of gold in some places. However, to say that this ship was merely for show, would have been a sad error in judgement, and most probably also a fatal one. For stealthily hidden amidst the luxurious decorations were in fact a great number of weapons, everything from powerful blasters to torpedo launchers. In addition, the armour was one of considerable durability, and if worst came to worst, its engines were custom made as some of the finest in the galaxy, providing a quick flight if need be.

Inside the cockpit of this rodian in ewok's clothing sat two girls in their early teens. The one piloting was a dark eyed brunette sporting a set of pigtails and dressed in a simple white pants and shirt with a black vest and leather belt. In contrast, her companion had flaming red hair accompanied by deep blue eyes, though it was her unusual dress code which stood out the most. She was wearing archaic armour of a deep red colour which covered her entire body, complete with gloves, boots and a helmet with a T-shaped visor which currently lay discarded by her feet. She gave their destination a critical gaze.

"That's Corellia?" she asked, as if hoping they had taken the wrong turn somewhere and ended up in the wrong system.

"Yep, sure is," her companion ascertained with a hint of pride "it's one of the largest industrial planets in the whole Galaxy."

"More like one of the _dullest_ planets in the whole Galaxy."

"Asuka, you'd think a fight with a wild gundark was dull." Asuka stretched herself in her seat and yawned.

"Actually, Hikari, that sounds kinda fun," she said and finished her yawn "why don't we do that instead of going to this dump?" Hikari gave a small snort.

"Because," she said with clearly audible annoyance "fun won't put credits in our pockets or food on our table, that's why." She turned to look back at the blue world below them. "'Sides, I happen to be born on that 'dump'." Asuka shrugged.

"The fact you didn't stay there proves my point" she said simply. Hikari was about to lash out at her friend, though before she could they were hailed by the Corellian landing station. The pigtailed pilot began to fidget.

"I hope they won't discover that our ship is stolen" she said while sending away the identification codes.

"Come on, girl!" Asuka exclaimed "It's been almost six months since we found this beauty on Malastare, no-one looks for a lost ship for that long."

"Found? We nicked it right in front of the guy who owned it!" Another shrug followed.

"He looked like a wimp anyway, couldn't have fixed it up as well as you and me." Hikari actually had to admit to that, though that obviously didn't mean she felt any less uneasy, so much in fact that she jumped slightly when the landing station sent them their response. The brown haired girl sighed in relief as they where given clearance to land.

"See?" her armoured friend pointed out "No problem!"

"Yeah, yeah," Hikari answered "just let us get down to Coronet already, I really want to have a look around Treasure Ship Row."

"What's that?" Asuka asked with a spark of curiosity lighting up her blue eyes.

"Huh? I didn't tell you? It's the best shopping district in the Galaxy, you can buy _anything_ there!" With a dreaming look on her eyes, Asuka then and there decided that this place might not be so bad after all.

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Shinji was walking through the dimly lit corridors of the _Ramiel_ trying to find his designated sleeping cell. Even though the jump to hyperspace itself had been quite something, he had quickly found that the greyish-bluish light of hyperspace was even more boring than his average history class. Instead, he opted for going to sleep, reasoning that he probably wouldn't get much of that once they reached their destination. The only problem now was finding the damn sleeping cell.

'_Guess the guy drawing the plans for GEHIRN also designed this place…'_ he thought as he rounded a corner and found another grey corridor just like the last one.

"I should've asked someone to show me the way…" the young pilot said aloud, a habit he had attained from being alone for extended amounts of time during his childhood.

Shinji began walking down the corridor, when, without warning, he suddenly got the eerie feeling of being watched. He spun around, half expecting to find his childhood fear, the conduit worm or maybe some other horror crawling through the passageway behind him. Yet instead he found…

"Nothing…" the boy said in relief and continued his track.

Yet, the uneasy feeling refused to go away. He looked over his shoulder several times but the corridor was always empty, though on one occasion he thought he saw a black shadow through the corner of his eye, though he attributed this to his vivid imagination. Eventually, he managed to reach his designated cell and thankfully got inside the small room, locking the door behind him.

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Out in the corridor, a girl with red eyes appeared from the shadows. Her right hand raised itself, seemingly of its own accord, and stretched out slightly towards the door behind which the young pilot had disappeared. It took some effort for the hand's owner to resume control of the rebellious body part. The girl lifted her pale hand to face level and studied it quizzically.

"What is this feeling…?" she asked in a barely audible whisper.

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The next day, standard time, the _Ramiel _arrived at Corellia and took up high orbit. About an hour later a small Lambda-class shuttle was dispatched from the star destroyer and began to ascend to the world below. Aboard this shuttle sat one Ikari Shinji and one Ayanami Rei, both dressed in their black, pressurised piloting uniforms.

"So, um, tell me again why we are wearing our suits when we're not going to pilot anything?" Shinji asked Doctor Akagi on the video com-link. The blonde doctor sighed.

"I told you so;" she explained "those suits give you more flexibility than a standard uniform, something you will need if you run into trouble. Also, there are a few strategically placed armour plates on them which just might save your lives in a tight spot."

"But won't we… um, draw attention wearing… these?"

"Oh believe me, Shinji-kun, there are people in this Galaxy who walks around in a lot stranger things than what you're wearing. Compared to them, you'd look normal." Shinji wasn't completely convinced, but he could see he was loosing the argument, and as such decided to resign early; he wasn't really cut out to fight to the death. Seeing as the teen didn't have any more objections, Ritsuko continued with giving them both their final instructions.

"Okay now, Iblis has an apartment in the Blue Light district close to Treasure Ship Row, a place suited for scum like him. Although we can't expect him to actually _be_ there, at least we might gain some information on his whereabouts, got that?" Both teens nodded.

"Good, report back once you've found something." With that the video link closed.

"I guess this is it then…" Shinji said to the blue haired girl sitting across from him in the shuttle.

"…" Rei responded.

'_Quiet as usual…'_ Shinji thought and let his eyes rest on the blue planet below, though his thoughts stayed on the red eyed girl.

'_I really wish she would talk to me,'_ he mused _'maybe she doesn't trust me… wonder why? But Mom said she's always been that way, maybe… hey, wait a minute!'_ For an instant Shinji thought he had seen Rei looking at him, intently. He quickly turned his head to face her but found that the girl was staring in a completely different direction.

'_Nah, she couldn't have…' _he decided and went back to idly watch as the peaceful world grew closer by the minute.

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"_Kandosii!"_ Asuka exclaimed as she set her eyes upon the monumental shopping district. _"Wayii, ibic te jatne! Vor entye, Hikarii!"_ Hikari sweat dropped at her friends incomprehensible cries of delight.

"Asuka, could you speak basic, please?" she said "I'm not too good at mandalorian" The red haired girl calmed down somewhat and turned to look at her friend.

"Yeah, that's a real pity, you know," she said seriously "I have to teach you some after we're done here." Once she had said that however, another rare item caught the girl's eye and she reverted back to her previous enthusiastic mood.

"This is totally awesome, Hikari!" she squealed in delight as she ran from one stand to the next "they've got _everything_ here! Just look at these new blasters! And this vibro-blade, sooo cool!" Hikari soon lost track of her hyped friend, settling on doing some shopping of her own before attempting to find the wayward red-head again.

"She couldn't cause that much trouble in a few hours now, could she?" the pigtailed girl reasoned.

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Shinji eyed the inhabitants of the Blue Light district nervously. They all looked like rogues and thugs to him, seemingly prepared to rob or kill someone at any given chance. Shinji shuddered; the non-humans were especially disturbing, as some of them would eye him and Rei as wandering pieces of meat.

Actually, on this quite short walk from the spaceport to the Blue Light, Shinji had probably seen a larger amount of non-humans than he had on Coruscant during his whole life. Of course, he'd never visited the rougher quarters of the city planet; perhaps they would be very similar to this place? Though somehow he doubted it, not many non-humans came to Coruscant anymore, most likely by some feel for self-preservation.

Suddenly, the young pilot noticed that the surroundings had become unsettlingly quiet. He looked around and saw that he and Rei had walked into a dark alleyway.

"Um, Ayanami, where are we going?" Shinji asked nervously.

"To Garm Bel Iblis' apartment" she said laconically. The blue eyed boy shook his head.

"No, I mean why are we taking this street to get there? This place looks really dangerous." Rei merely shrugged.

"The map claims it to be the shortest way" she stated.

That was not the answer Shinji had wanted to hear. He had wanted her to say something like 'Oh, my bad, lets take a safer road instead'; though the mere thought of the stoic girl saying anything along those lines was of course laughable. The blue eyed boy's feeling of dread now begun to grow at an accelerating pace; he _really _didn't like dark and lonely places. The two rounded a corner, finding themselves on an even darker street, through which also blew a chilling wind. Without warning, Rei stopped dead in her tracks.

"What is it?" Shinji asked.

"…we are being followed" the blue haired girl responded, in a lower tone of voice than usual. Shinji looked frantically around the street. Suddenly, six dark shapes appeared from shadows cast by nearby buildings.

"_Soong chuy?"_ a green and warty rodian asked mockingly in huttese.

"A cute couple out on a date it seems" a blonde human male answered in basic.

"_Gharf gruhr duhr!"_ a brutish aqualish with four eyes grunted. A horned and pointy teethed devaronian tittered madly at his companion's remark.

"Aye, they should know people like us are about!" the horned man said, still grinning impishly.

"Maybe we should teach them that, then?" a near-human with empty eye sockets said jeeringly.

"A lesson to keep for life!" the devaronian chirped merrily "pity theirs' won't last long!"

"Hshcth!" a squid-like quarren concurred.

"_Me tinka hoohah nobata moulee-raa"_ the rodian said after a closer look on the teens, and sounding somewhat disappointed. The blonde human nodded.

"Looks that way but…" he began to ogle Rei lecherously "…there are more things to life than money, right?" he said with a cold grin. As one being, the thugs began to close in on the two unfortunate teens.

"W-what do you want?" Shinji blurted out, unable to keep quiet for any longer. The blonde man, most likely the leader, and several of his companions laughed.

"Kid, we're lonely men," the blonde said with an evil smile "we just want some company, 'tis all."

"Company, company!" the devaronian tittered. The blonde turned to Rei, cupping her chin in his hand.

"What would you say 'bout that, missy? Won't you dump this kid and hang with us for a while, I'm sure you'd like that." The girl stared blankly at him.

"…No" she said. The blonde man's smile only faltered a fraction.

"Come on now, missy, no need to play hard to get" he said and took a firm grip on her wrist.

"Let her go…" Shinji said weakly. The thug ignored him completely, instead bringing his face mere inches from that of the blue haired girl's.

"To tell you the truth, missy, I'm not good at accepting refusal" he said, and licked Rei's cheek.

"Let her go."

"You taste good, missy" the lecherous blonde continued "and I think you're gonna like it when we're all having a taste of you… and you tasting us in turn."

"I said, LET HER GO!" Shinji suddenly roared and pulled out his lightsabre, activating it and running its glowing red blade through the blonde thug's shoulder, all during the time frame of a millisecond.

"Yhaaargh!" the thug screamed, letting go of Rei and staggering backwards, clutching his smouldering shoulder. He looked around at his companions.

"Don't just stand there you idiots!" he barked "Kill him!" The other ruffians quickly brought out their weapons and pointed them at Shinji.

"_Bona nai kachu, peedunkey"_ the rodian said with a chuckle.

'_Come on now Ikari, concentrate!'_ Shinji ordered himself _'if you get hit here, it's going to be the end of the road!'_

The rodian fired and Shinji, somewhat to his own amazement, was able to parry it, sending the shot into a nearby wall. The other thugs now fired their blasters as well, and Shinji's moves became increasingly more desperate as he tried to avoid them all. Even though he managed to block most of the shots fired at him, a few would still penetrate his quite mundane defence and graze his uniform and skin, giving him several painful burn marks.

Then he heard it, the sizzling sound of another lighsabre being activated, and saw Rei ferociously jumping into the fight. Within seconds the quarren was dead, beheaded with one clean swipe from Rei's sabre. The blue eyed boy stared in amazement at the girl for a few seconds, before another blaster shot sizzled only inches from his face, efficiently bringing him out of his stupor.

Together the two teens now made short work of the remaining thugs. Rei went from the dead quarren to the aqualish, which tried to fend the red eyed girl of with a sturdy looking piece of metal it picked up from the ground. Against Rei's lightsabre however, the defence provided by the metal piece was equal to nil. Rei merely cut it in half, and then proceeded with skewering the brute to the wall, where it squealed and writhed for a while before going silent.

Shinji had engaged the devaronian and managed to parry the devilish character's blaster shots back and hitting its hand, causing the horned man to drop the blaster. Shinji approached the devilish figure, now clutching its injured hand and whimpering pathetically, to deal the _coup de grace_. But when he was about to do so, the devaronian lifted its face wearing a malicious grin and pulled out another blaster with his uninjured hand.

Shinji was barely able to react in time, managing to cut the horned man's hand of before it was able to shoot. The devaronian howled in pain but was cut off when the blue eyed teen sliced through its chest, ending the vile figures life. Shinji now looked around him in search for another target and saw Rei trying to slay the eyeless near-human, though it nimbly avoided her every move, despite being unable to see. Shinji first considered helping the girl out when he saw the warty rodian pointing its blaster at the blue haired girl.

"Ayanami, watch out!" he warned and dashed of toward the green skinned thug. The outcall alerted the rodian, who pulled out a short sword and held it up in defence towards the onrushing teen. Shinji readied his sabre and made a clean cut towards the gleaming weapon. A shower of sparks erupted from the clash of the two weapons, but the rodian's sword held.

"What the…?" Shinji exclaimed in surprise. The rodian chuckled mockingly.

"_Chuba no yuma Jedai me killya, peedunkey"_ it said and pressed against the red lightsabre. Shinji could only try to hold the rodian at bay, while frantically trying to come up with a plan. To the boy's horror, he saw the rodian now pointing its blaster to his chest, with what must have passed for a grin among the rodians.

"_Dopo u gusha, peedunkey? Eh, dopo u?"_ it said while slowly pressing the trigger. Suddenly it gave out a howl and arched its back before falling lifeless to the ground.

"_Tagwa"_ a soft female voice said.

"Ayanami!" Shinji said in relief. Behind the girl lay the dismembered body of the blind near-human she'd been fighting. Rei gave Shinji a short nod before turning around to face the blonde leader who was staring incredulously at them.

"Wh-who _are_ you?" he asked in horror. Shinji felt an extreme surge of rage as he beheld the disgusting creature which now crawled backwards to avoid the two teens from getting any closer to him.

"P-please don't kill me!" the man pleaded "I'll do whatever you want! Just let me go!" Shinji furiously jumped at the blonde thug, pinning him to the ground with the lightsabre.

"No" the boy said coldly.

The scream that followed was short but echoed horribly throughout the dark alleys.

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"Five thousand credits for _this_!" Asuka raged at the bearded merchant, indicating the WESTAR-34 blaster on display. The man crossed his arms with a sour look on his face.

"'Tis dat or nuthin, take it or leave it" he said firmly.

The red haired girl fumed. Not only was the bastard unnecessarily grumpy and greedy, but he was denying the girl the enjoyment of one of her favourite sports; haggling. What was even worse, Asuka really, _really_ _wanted_ that blaster. Not only was it a brand new model, but it was also powerful as hell, especially at short range. Plus, it had the most awesome design.

"Couldn't you put it on my tab or something?" she asked, and made an effort not to sound too desperate.

"No can do" the merchant said and added "If yer ain't gonna buy it, shove off, yer in the way fer me _paying_ customers." That did it. Asuka faked a pearly smile.

"Sure, sorry I held you up, sir" she said, her words dripping of venomous honey. The bearded man grumbled and turned his back on her. A huge mistake.

Asuka quickly picked up a heavy looking tool from the desk and threw it at the merchant's neck in an attempt to knock him out. It didn't work, instead, the bearded man spun around, eyes blood-shot with fury.

"Ye bloody bitch!" he roared.

"Oh, my bad" the girl said with an innocent smile, and took off through the door and dashed down the street as fast as she could. The man went out on the street and shook his fist at the running girl's back.

"An' don't let me catch ye 'ere again!" he called after her and went back into his shop, rubbing his neck and swearing below his breath. However, the curses only stayed below his breath for a few more seconds. Then he saw that his prized WESTAR-34 was missing.

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Shinji and Rei stepped out of the elevator into a corridor which looked quite broken down and quickly began to look for Iblis' apartment. They soon found it and Rei took out her lightsabre and sliced the door open. Shinji sweat dropped at the overkill but decided not to comment. The apartment was dark since none of the light panels seemed to be functioning, but from what they saw in the red light of Rei's sabre the apartment was pretty run down, even more so than the corridor outside.

They looked around for quite some time in the dusty flat, finding nothing of importance. In one of the rooms, Shinji suddenly noticed a torn sheet of paper on the ground by an unmade bed. Picking the paper up, he recognised it as a photo, depicting a happy looking young couple, although it had been ripped halfway on the middle, separating the two.

'_Iblis and his wife'_ Shinji guessed. He flipped the card and found a small note on its backside.

_Me and Arrianya, Honeymoon on Alderaan._

Under this was another note which looked much more recent. It read:

_You will live forever on…_

"Wonder what happened…" Shinji asked himself. He flipped the card back to the young couple and stared at it for a few moments.

"Ikari-kun" Rei called from the adjacent room, bringing Shinji from his musings.

"What is it, Ayanami?"

"I have found Bel Iblis' personal diaries." Shinji pocketed the photo, why he didn't know, and went to the other room.

Rei was sitting in front of a lit screen of a holo-archiver which looked very old, most likely twenty years or more. She was scrolling quickly through the most of it, only momentarily stopping when she found something vaguely interesting. Shinji went to stand by her side.

"Found anything?" he asked and looked over her shoulder.

"No," she said quietly "but a few files seem to be encoded."

"Try opening one." The ruby eyed girl did so and an insert-password-here menu appeared. Shinji pondered for a while.

"Maybe it's 'freedom' or something like that?" he guessed. Rei typed it in.

_Access Denied_

"Okay, how about… 'Death to Palpatine', no that's too long, um…?"

"Neon genesis, perhaps?" Rei suggested.

"What does that mean?"

"New beginning."

"Yeah, try that one, sounds revolutionary."

_Access Denied_

"Oh, man…" Shinji groaned. They continued trying to guess the right password for nearly half an hour until they were both spent on ideas. Then, Shinji remembered the photo in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the text on the backside.

"Ayanami," he said a bit ponderously "let's try this out; 'Arrianya'" Rei looked quizzically at him.

"It's the name of his wife" Shinji elaborated. Rei nodded and typed the word in.

_Access Granted_

"We did it!" Shinji cheered as Rei began to read the secret entries.

"Well, does it say anything?" the boy asked after a few minutes.

"I do not believe it is able to speak" Rei said and continued her reading, causing Shinji to first blink in puzzlement and then to sweat drop.

"No what I meant was, is there any useful information?" he explained. Rei nodded.

"Yes, there is mentioned a remote planet called Tatooine, I believe this is the most probable location."

"We should go there next then" the boy said. Rei nodded and plugged a small device to the archiver.

"What are you doing?" Shinji asked.

"There is information here which is useful to the Empire; we should bring it with us." The data transfer was fast and Rei was soon able to unplug the recorder. Though when she did, the archive screen began to flash red, and one second later a countdown appeared.

"A trap," the ruby eyed girl stated simply "this place will explode in less than five minutes." Shinji began to panic.

"We must get out of here!" he exclaimed and grabbed Rei by her wrist and ran towards the door. Alas, the trap also included the door being barred by a number of sturdy looking bars, quite a lot for even two lightsabres to cut through. Shinji activated his sabre nonetheless.

"Ikari-kun, there is no time" Rei said. Shinji turned to her.

"But…" he said. The blue haired girl shook her head.

"No time" she repeated "The window, quick!" she darted of towards the window, and Shinji followed suit.

"We're too high up!" the boy warned her, but Rei just shook her head again and increased her pace.

The blue haired girl jumped right through the window, breaking it into a million gleaming shards, and continued to fall through the open air beyond, shortly followed by Shinji.

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The upper part of the building exploded in an inferno of fire and steel, sending burning debris falling into the Blue Light district below. The people nearby stood in stupefied horror and watched the spectacle, that is, until they realised that perhaps it was not such a good idea to be standing too close to a burning and near-collapsing building. The terrified onlookers began to move, slowly at first, but soon increasing their pace to a panicked flight once the first burning pieces of metal began to fall down among them.

One of the few who didn't run away from the doomed building was one armoured red-head, who as a matter of fact was instead running _towards_ it. This was not because she was especially intrigued by things exploding and burning… well that too, but the current and immediate reason was that she had seen her friend Hikari being dangerously near the building when it exploded.

"Hikari!" she screamed over the noise of the fleeing crowd. "Hikari, where are you!?" She didn't get any response, but Asuka wasn't one to be easily discouraged, the lack of reply only spurring her further on.

"Hikari!" she called out again. By now there were almost no-one left this close to the site, and the armoured girl's voice echoed among the burning debris.

The falling fires had become quite a hindrance for the red haired girl, constantly getting in her way, though her protective helmet enabled her to continue. Some way away, Asuka suddenly heard a terrified scream, sounding very much like her friend. Dreading the worst, Asuka darted off to where the scream had originated, all the time calling out her friend's name.

"Hikari! Hikari!"

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They were going to die. Shinji was absolutely positive of that fact. Well, at least he was going to, since he would hit the flame swept ground first. Seconds after they had jumped from the exploding flat, Shinji had by some obscure instinct grabbed a hold of Rei and arranged so he would ease the girl's fall with his own body, at least a bit. However, as he took a peek down at the rapidly approaching street, he had little hope that it would do any difference.

'_This is just my luck…'_ he thought bitterly and closed his eyes, waiting for the impact which would end his existence. Though, oddly enough, it never seemed to come. Actually, the rushing air also seemed to have stopped, which was even stranger. Shinji ventured a peek.

"Wooah!" he called out in surprise.

Somehow, the two teens were now drifting gently through the air, very similar to a feather falling in a gentle breeze. Shinji looked at Rei for clarification. He was quite surprised to see the girl with her eyes tightly shut in concentration. Actually, as his panic began to reside, the boy could also feel the immense amount of energy pouring out of the pale girl and keeping them from being splattered over the entire market.

Afraid that if he broke her concentration they would fall to their deaths, Shinji kept quiet and let his eyes wander from the girl in his arms to the now slowly nearing street below and back again.

'_This is actually kind of nice' _he thought absently. Rei's countenance had now gone from deep concentration to peaceful serenity, though she still gave of huge amounts of Force energy.

'_She looks really beautiful…' _Shinji silently commented, and blushed furiously at his own thoughts. _'W-where'd THAT come from?'_ His face was still very pink when their feet finally touched the ground and Rei opened her eyes.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Ah, um, n-nothing" Shinji stuttered and looked away.

Rei cocked her head to the side and stared quizzically at him, locking her gaze with his. Shinji began to feel the world around him turn into a grey mist. The girl's red eyes reflected the surrounding fires, causing them to glow, and Shinji felt as if he was being sucked into their crimson depths. The spell was abruptly broken however, by a heart-piercing scream. Shinji immediately broke away and began to search for the wail's origin.

"Over there!" Shinji called out and ran, with Rei soon following him, towards a figure which lay half buried under a heap of trashed and burning metal. The figure raised her face to look at the approaching teens. It was a girl their own age with a set of pigtails, and with most of her face obscured by blood that had poured down from a wound on her left temple.

"H-help me!" she cried.

Shinji and Rei quickly got over to the girl and began to dig her out of her would-be-tomb. It took quite some effort, even though Rei would lift some of the heavier rubble away using the Force, but soon the girl was free, although she had passed out by then. Shinji lifted her up in his arms and turned to Rei.

"We should take her to a hospital" he said. Rei gave the unconscious girl a look which Shinji found rather strange, and oddly disturbing, though it only lingered for a fraction of a second before the girl nodded her agreement.

They took off in a running pace since Shinji, due to his caring nature, wanted to see the wounded girl taken care of as soon as possible. They had only been running a few metres though when they, that is to say Shinji, bumped into another figure, which caused the boy to fall on his back from the force of the impact, though he took care not to let the unconscious girl hit the ground.

"Watch we're you're going, _di'kut_!" the person, who was clad in a blazing red armour with a T-shaped visor on its helmet, barked angrily.

"Sorry," Shinji said from his place on the ground "I didn't watch my step; it's just that we're in a hurry." The armoured figure looked a bit startled, then it threw off its, or as it was revealed, her helmet, letting a mane of red hair flow down her shoulders, and fell to her knees beside Shinji and the pigtailed girl.

"Hikari!" the girl shrieked and began to shake her friend in an attempt to wake her up. When that didn't work she fired a hateful glare at Shinji.

"What did you do to her, _chakaar_?" she demanded. The boy became quite intimidated by her evil glare, though unbeknownst by him, Rei was directing a similar glare to the armoured firebrand.

"Nothing, I promise! We just found her buried under some rubble and helped her out." The girl only scoffed at him, took her friend up in her arms and stood up to leave. Shinji stood up as well.

"You're taking her to a hospital then?" he asked, just to make sure they would be all right. The girl stopped.

"A hospital?" she repeated.

"She obviously needs treatment!" Shinji stated firmly. The girl hesitated for a few moments.

"…do you know any good ones?" she asked, seemingly struggling with every word. Shinji realized that, no, he didn't know any hospitals here on Corellia. Just when he was about to tell the girl this, they were interrupted by approaching voices.

"Hey, you over there, are you all right?" one voice called out to them and soon a number of merchants and security guards became visible.

"Yeah, we're…!" Shinji began, but was cut of by another of the approaching men, a rather large one with a great beard.

"Wait!" the man exclaimed angrily "That's the bitch who stole me merchandise!"

"_Osik!"_ the red haired girl hissed and darted off.

"After 'er!" the enraged merchant yelled "an' take those other kids too, they look to be 'er companions!" Shinji had to blink a few times before it went up to him what the man ha said.

"Oh, shit…" he said, seconds before grabbing Rei by the arm and running after the armoured girl, several guards in hot pursuit after them.

'_This has not been one of my better days'_ Shinji thought as he and Rei ran to catch up with the firebrand who sprinted ahead of them, while the guards behind began to fire scattered shoots at them.

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It had taken some brains, and a hell of a lot of running, but eventually the teens were able to shake the persistent guards off, and arrived sweating and panting at the star port. Once he had regained his breath, Shinji turned to the red-head girl who was still holding her passed out friend protectively in her arms.

"All right…" he panted "wha… what was …that… all about?" The armoured girl snorted.

"I don't have to tell _you_" she said.

"No," Rei inflicted "we are accused for the same crime as you, we are entitled to know." Asuka glared at her.

"Fine," she barked "I took that bloke's gun, big deal? I'd make much better use of it than anyone else!" Rei and Shinji exchanged glances.

"Why's that?" Shinji asked carefully, he had a feeling the girl might not be entirely…stabile. The girl carefully put her friend down and took a grandiose pose, placing one hand to her chest and making a wide, sweeping motion with the other.

"Because I," she began dramatically "am Soryu Asuka Langley, Princess of the Mandalorians!"

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_To be continued…_

AN: And I think I'll end the chapter here (_evil grin_). Now, I bet you didn't see that coming now did'ya? Asuka as a kleptomaniac Mandalorian Princess! That can _never _have been done before. To those who don't know, Mandalorians are Jango and Boba Fett's people. They're proud warriors, something which fits Asuka very well.

And here comes a little translation for those who don't know huttese or mandalorian

Asuka:

_Kandosii!_ Awesome!

_Wayii, ibic te jatne! Vor entye, Hikarii! _OMG it's _the_ best! Thank you Hikari!

_Di'kut _Idiot

_Chakaar _Bastard

_Osik_ Oh shit!

The rodian:

_Soong chuy?_ What's this?

_Me tinka hoohah nobata moulee-raa _I don't think they have any money

_Bona nai kachu, peedunkey _you're in trouble now, punk

_Chuba no yuma Jedai me killya, peedunkey _you're not the first Jedi I kill, punk (He see the lightsabre and thinks Shinji is a Jedi, oh the prejudice!)

_Dopo u gusha, peedunkey? Eh, dopo u? _Do you feel lucky, punk? Huh, do you? (Yeah, I know, stole it from Clint Eastwood)

Rei's response:

_Tagwa _Yes (Hope you'll find this at least a little funny)

Now, I did this language thing as an experiment, if people like it ill continue doing it, if you don't, I'll quit, it's as easy as that. (Observe that I didn't translate the aqualish and quarren, because I made those words up and thought their meanings were quite evident from context)

Some answers to reviews:

To Konous the Grey: strictly speaking: no he wouldn't really care, but I'm taking some artistic freedom here. Also, everyone knows the Sith are controlled by the dark side (not the other way around) and ambition is a part of the dark side, so it's not that big a stretch really.

To Alucard180: Oh he's going to play around with it all right (_mischievous grin_). I actually wanted for Shinji to use hisMind Trick at least once in this chapter, but I couldn't fit it in. Oh well, maybe next time.

To Zarzer: Yep, it would take quite a lot for Vader to get Rei on his side, I'm not even sure he'd be able to before... um, nevermind! Not gonna tell you things too early.

General answer: You know, that about cross parings was actually a joke (and I'd never separate Shinji and Rei, shame on those who'd think so!), and I most likely won't do anything of the sort.

To Everyone Else: Thanks for al your reviews!

An' may da force be with ya'll, yo!

Ausir.


	7. Chapter 6

Phew! Finally, I made it! I had such a hard time getting inspiration as well as fitting all the things in, but I hope it turned out okay.

A short pre-fic note on the use of language; I got one pro and one con, leading to a draw, so here's what I'll do. I will use the different starwars languages, though I will avoid dialogues as much as possible. If there is a dialogue, I'll do the same thing Lucas does, namely make the meanings clear through the answers in Basic. Got that? Good.

Okellidokely, on with the Fic!

_(Rage of the Shadow Warriors plays) _a small tribute to all Mandalorians, people playing Repuplic Commando will know what I'm talking about. Those who don't, try getting the game or download the track (that's what I did) it's really worth listening to.

_**Fly Me to the Stars**_

_A Star Wars/Evangelion x-over by Ausir_

_Chapter 6_

"…in other news, a residential building collapsed earlier this afternoon in the Blue Light district of Coronet after an explosion had taken place on the thirty-first level. According to the local task force it was probably an act of terrorism, most likely done by rebel extremists."

"The police have yet to hunt down the perpetrators, suspected to be three humans in their early teens, which were reported to have been seen near the site of crime. The suspects are described as two females, one in rusty armour and with long red hair, and the other as having red eyes, blue hair and dressed in a black rubber uniform, as well as a male with short, dark hair and dressed in a similar black uniform."

"Aside from terrorism, these teenagers are also accused for stealing as well as the kidnapping of an unknown girl. The police are now conducting an extensive search for the three and will welcome any information provided by the public which could lead to the capturing of the criminals…"

_-Imperial HoloVision, Corellian sector, code 151004._

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'_Definitely not stabile…'_ Shinji thought as he carefully eyed the armoured red head, still in her grand pose, while trying to come up with some kind of answer to the girl's proclamation of being the 'Princess of the Mandalorians', whoever they were.

"Um…" the boy ventured. A vein bulged on Asuka's temple. Definitely not the answer she had expected.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of the Mandalorians?!" she spat accusingly.

"Eh…no?" the blue eyed boy said carefully. The firebrand exhaled forcefully in frustration.

"What a fucking _di'kut_!" she exclaimed to the world in general. Rei's eyes narrowed unnoticeably.

"I don't have time for the likes of you," the red head continued "I need to get Hikari someplace she can recover." With that she picked her fallen friend up once more and began to march of, only to stop an instant later when a blaster rifle was being pointed at her midsection.

"Hold it right there!" the one holding the rifle barked. Around twenty or so local troopers had somehow managed to close in on the small party.

"Now look what you've done!" Asuka growled at Shinji "Oh well, nothing to do 'bout it" she said dismissively. A second later, the trooper who had foolishly pointed his rifle at the fiery haired Mandalorian lay on the ground, trying his best not to whimper from the excruciating pain in his groin. The flaming girl sped past him, quickly followed by Shinji and Rei.

"Why the hell are you following me!?" the armoured girl yelled at them as they ran amidst the ensuing inferno of blaster shots. The uniformed teens dashed past her.

"We're just running in the same direction!" Shinji called out between his panting, trying to make his voice heard over the sizzling blasts soaring through the air. Rei just ran without comment.

"Oh, _all right_!" Asuka retorted "We'll take my ship, come on!" With that, she sped past the two imperials and took the lead once again.

As the teens neared the copper and bronze plated ship, Asuka yelled a few words in what Shinji guessed was Mandalorian and the ship's hatch hissed open and lowered its boarding ramp. The armoured girl nimbly jumped up the ramp, shortly followed by Shinji and Rei who encountered something quite unexpected, something big and feathery, with a big beak, blue eyes and clad in white, black and red feathers.

"Wark!"

"Ghaaa! What's that!?" Shinji called out in surprise. Rei just stared quizzically at the avian creature standing at the top of the ramp. Asuka gave them an impatient look.

"That's just Pen-pen, he's Hikari's pet, now stop slacking and _get in_, or I'll leave you two behind!" The two imperials did as they were told, just in time to avoid a new salve of sizzling lasers being shot at them.

Asuka quickly put her fallen friend down on a couch in the centre of the ship, after which she ran of to the cockpit with Rei, Shinji and Pen-pen in tow. The cockpit was quite small, with seats for just two persons, a pilot and a passenger, and almost every available surface was covered with a million different buttons, levers and odd gadgets. Asuka jumped into the piloting seat, with the penguin taking up the other, and pressed a button to close the entrance hatch and a set of others to activate the ship's engines.

"Welcome to the _Kyoko Zeppelin_," she said while the repulsorlift kicked in and the landing legs were withdrawn, making the ship lift into the air "now… let's ditch this dump!"

The troopers, seeing as their prey was about to escape, now intensified their fire in a vain attempt to cripple the ship. However, the ship's main engines soon kicked in, causing the ship to accelerate so fast that Shinji lost his footing inside the cockpit and bumped into Rei, causing them both to collapse onto the floor. A few seconds later, the gleaming craft thrust through the hangar doors, trailed by a hail of ill-targeted blaster shots.

"Yeeehaaaa, I did it!" Asuka cheered as the craft swiftly made its way through the atmosphere at a pace which would have made Misato envious.

Shinji didn't pay much attention to either the speed or the armoured girl's ranting, since his current position, sprawled over the somewhat puzzled looking Rei, was demanding the boy's full attention, as well as that of the inquisitive Pen-pen who was curiously looking over his seat. For a few seconds, the two teens stared into each others' eyes, until Shinji's brain finally became aware of the situation.

"Ah! S-sorry Ayanami!" he called out and quickly got up. Before the meek boy could decide if he should offer the girl a hand, Rei had stood up as well and gave the other imperial an unusual look. While silently hoping that the look didn't mean the azure haired girl hadn't taken the… incident… in the wrong way, Shinji turned to Asuka, who was still commemorating herself on her 'daring escape'.

"Um…" Shinji called for the boastful girl's attention "could you, you know, give us a ride to our ship?" The girl turned in her seat, gave him a shrug and flipped her hair dismissively.

"Sure, I guess," she said without much interest "where is it?"

"Actually," the boy said, pointing "we're going right towards it." Asuka followed his finger and beheld the huge, grey star destroyer floating in its orbit. She blinked incredulously, turned to look at Shinji and Rei, and then once again at the gargantuan ship.

"Y-you're kidding!"

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Misato stood on the bridge of the _Ramiel_, absently staring down at the seemingly peaceful blue marble far below the ship. Lord Vader and Admiral Fuyutsuki had both retired to their respective chambers, leaving the purple haired woman in charge of the entire star cruiser. In any other situation, Misato would have been overjoyed by being in charge of a big-ass ship like this, but right now she had other things on her mind to fully enjoy the temporary promotion.

'_I really hope those two are all right'_ she wished while nervously biting her thumb. Only a few minutes earlier one of the techies had relayed a local transmission about some kind of terrorist activity in the Blue Light district, the same district where Shinji and Rei had been sent to investigate.

"Captain!" one of the techies suddenly alerted "We have a signal from Pilot Ikari." Misato tried not to run as she went over to the techie.

"Well?" she said impatiently "put him through!" The uniformed man nodded.

"Yes ma'am." He activated the transmitter.

"Shinji-kun, can you hear me?" Misato asked, sounding just a tad worried.

"Um… yeah Misato-san" said the as always slightly insecure voice of Ikari Shinji. Misato gave a sigh of relief.

"Are you and Rei all right?" she inquired "how did the mission go?"

"Yeah, we're okay but, um…" some technical interference sounding oddly like 'wark!' was heard over the com-link "…we, er, kinda ran into some trouble and… 'wark!'… w-well it's a long story… a-anyway, could you let us aboard?"

"Sure, I'll see you in the hangar" Misato said, switching the com-link off and headed for the elevator.

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"Get your dirty hands off my ship!" Asuka raged at the unfortunate fleet-techies who had tried to get a closer look at the newly arrived sloop.

"B-but it's our job to…" one of the techies said. Asuka took a firm hold on the techies shoulder and flashed him a smile.

"Look at it this way," she said "if you don't do your job, you _might_ loose it. But if you so much as _breathe_ on my ship you're _damn sure_ to loose your arm." She tightened her iron grip on the poor man's shoulder, actually causing him to whimper "Got that?" The techie nodded fervently.

"Good." The Mandalorian girl released her prisoner, allowing him and his colleagues to flee, and walked back to her beloved ship. When she got there two medics came walking down the ramp, one on either side of a hovering bier on which lay the hastily patched up Hikari.

"Hey, _chakaare_, where the fuck are you taking my buddy!?" she exclaimed furiously. The doctor's just continued on their way, showing much greater resolve than their engineering counterparts. This might however have been due to the piloting duo Shinji and Rei as well a certain avian coming down right after them. Asuka pointed an accusing finger at the brown haired boy causing him to take a step backwards.

"All right, what the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"Ah, well…um, you see…" Shinji stuttered, quite taken aback by the girl's aggressive tone.

"Your comrade needs treatment," Rei said without a hint of emotion "she is being taken to the infirmary." The armoured red head scoffed.

"Yeah right, and you expect me to believe that?" she asked derisively.

"That is not necessary" the ruby eyed pilot said calmly. Asuka was fully prepared to jump for the throat of the annoying and… _droid-like_… girl, but was interrupted by a cheerful "Hiya, everyone!" which originated from a certain purple haired captain.

"Um, hello Misato-san" Shinji said and gave a small wave. Rei put her feet together and made a full salute.

"Captain" she said formally. Misato gave them a casual salute as she approached them. Shinji noted that she had that unnerving 'time-to-embarrass-Shinji-kun-grin' plastered all over her face. He began his own mental countdown of doom.

'_Three…two…'_

"Wow, Shinji-kun you're fast," Misato said, making an effort to sound greatly impressed "being able to pick up _another _girl in less than twelve hours" she finished, with her thumb indicating the shocked and fuming Mandalorian. The blushing boy was about to soundly protest when he was mauled by a screaming flash of red.

"I'd _never _like this _shabla hut'uunla di'kut_!" she roared and slipped into her native language as Basic became to mild a language for her needs. The enraged girl was about to give the now terrified boy a powerful blow, just to make sure he got the message, but without warning, her arm appeared to be held back by something. Asuka spun around and saw Rei holding her wrist in a firm grip.

"What the hell…?" the armoured girl exclaimed.

Rei merely stared coldly straight into the other girl's clear blue eyes. And thus they stood for almost a minute, the Mandalorian's hateful glare competing with the imperial's frosty one, neither of them wavering or even blinking. Not one syllable was exchanged, though everyone in the vicinity could clearly feel the tension building up between the silent combatants. Near the end, even a few storm troopers would shift uneasily. Finally, after some silent agreement seemed to have been made, Asuka reclaimed her hand with a snort.

"Fine" she said simply, flipping her hair and striding past the others and going after the bier with her unconscious friend shortly followed by a black and white flash of feathers. Shinji and Misato blinked dumbly.

"Hey, Shin-chan," the purple haired woman asked "who is that girl? Is she a friend of yours or something?"

"Not really," the boy said "she just helped us out in Coronet and…what?" Misato's grin had returned with a vengeance.

"Boy, are you one lucky dog, Shinji-kun," she commented "having two girl's fighting over you like a piece of meat." Shinji's blush returned as well.

"T-that's n-not…" the poor boy stammered.

"I do not like meat" Rei said monotonously yet with a hint of firmness. Misato became a little put off by that.

"Well, like a piece of… I dunno, some kind of fruit or whatever…the point _is_…" Suddenly her communicator beeped.

"Yeah, Misato here" she said as she activated the transmitter. When she heard who it was on the other side, she stiffed and paled.

"Y-yessir, I'll see to it, my Lord" she assured and closed the communication.

"Pilots Ikari and Ayanami," she said with unusual formality "Lord Vader requests your immediate presence."

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Darth Vader's personal quarters were as intimidating as the dark lord himself. It was a huge, barren room, without any superfluous decoration and furniture. Indeed it was completely void of any such things, since all the dark lord's needs were sustained either by his armour alone, or with the aid of his isolations chamber where a myriad of droid arms would work to prolong the Sith Lord's life.

These were immobile for the time being however, Vader did not much enjoy others to see what was hidden beneath his mask, and would severely punish anyone who did so. Shinji of course was unaware of this, though what he did know was that the Supreme Commander had very little patience, and the boy felt that patience was running short with the stuttering report he was giving. Yet, the mentioning of a certain planet proved to be his saving grace.

"Tatooine?" the dark lord inquired "are you sure?" Both teens nodded sombrely.

"We are, Lord Vader" Rei said. The cyborg shifted slightly in his throne-like isolations chamber. For a few moments he seemed to stare off into thin air, until he once again directed his attention to the uniformed teens before him.

"Very well," he said "I will give the order to set course for…that planet. Was there anything else?" Rei stepped up to the black armoured man and presented a small recorder. Vader took it in his gloved hand and studied it.

"What is this?" he asked.

"It contains information from Iblis' personal archive, my Lord" the girl answered "it might prove useful." Vader nodded and put the small gadget away.

"Good, you are both dismissed" he said. The teens bowed and exited the room, leaving the dark lord alone with his thoughts.

'_That planet… such a long time ago'_ he mused.

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Asuka was sitting beside Hikari's bed in the star destroyer's hospital section. Pen-pen was also present, having fallen asleep by his mistress's feet. The pigtailed girl was sleeping peacefully, though, as a matter of fact, her pigtails had been undone so the doctors could examine the injuries on the girl's head. Hikari now had a white bandage around her scalp; also, her right arm had been put in a cast which now lay upon the sleeping girl's chest.

"Come on girl, wake up already…" Asuka implored quietly.

The doctors had assured her that Hikari would probably wake up anytime soon, all she needed was some rest. Asuka hoped fervently that they were right, for their own good, but also for her friend's sake. As she continued her vigil the red haired girl noticed a few locks had fallen down the brunette's face. She absently raised her hand to stroke the locks away, when the door suddenly opened. She quickly withdrew her hand.

"_You_" she hissed dangerously when she saw who it was.

"Um… I'm sorry?" Shinji said carefully, raising his hands defensively as he saw the daggers shooting from the violent red head's eyes.

"Not you, _di'kut_" the Mandalorian girl spat and continued to look hatefully at the other newly arrived; Rei.

"So, what's a droid doing here, anyway?" Asuka said venomously "this ain't mechanical maintenance as far as I know." The blue haired girl looked a bit quizzically at Asuka for a moment before answering.

"…I am not a droid" she said. The armoured girl snorted.

"You're all stiff and talk the same way all the time… that's what droids do as far as I'm concerned" she said arrogantly. Shinji could quickly see what was about to happen and knowing the Mandalorian could easily turn violent, tried the first diversion he could think of.

"Er, how's your friend doing?" he asked quickly. The armoured firebrand stopped just as she was about to lash out again at Rei and turned to look at Hikari in her bed. Then she gave Shinji an annoyed snort.

"None of your business" she said firmly. As she prepared to verbally attack Rei once again, the three heard a soft rustling sound from the occupied bed.

"Hmm?" Hikari murmured as she stirred. At the blink of an eye Asuka was by her friend's side, her rage long forgotten.

"Hiya girl," she said nicely "feeling any better?" The freckled girl groaned a little and brought her uninjured hand to nurse her aching head.

"What happened," she asked a little groggily "did I get trampled by a herd of banthas or something?"

"You got knocked out when that building exploded" Asuka explained. Hikari nodded tiredly.

"Yeah…" she said drowsily and yawned "I think I'm gonna sleep some more, Asuka, this headache is killing me…" Just before she was about to close her eyes though, the brown haired girl's eyes registered her other visitors. And in an instant she sat up, fully awake.

"Y-you?" she said, looking straight at Shinji for a few seconds before turning her face away, her freckled cheeks darkening slightly. "Thanks for helping me out…" she whispered shyly. The boy looked stunned for a moment before he blushed also.

"Ah…um, no problem" he said bashfully "actually, I didn't do that much, Ayanami and Sohryu-san helped you the most…" Hikari didn't hear this though since she had already gone back to sleep. Asuka gave Shinji a suspicious glare, one which was quite similar, though far more apparent than the dirty look Rei was secretly giving the sleeping Hikari.

"Just don't get any ideas now, okay?" Asuka warned the boy in a serious tone. Shinji raised his hands in his standard defensive position.

"I w-won't I promise!" The red head girl held him with her glare for a while and then looked back at her snoozing friend.

"So… you know who set up that explosion, right?" she asked without warning.

"Um, yeah," Shinji said truthfully, while getting increasingly more confused by the Mandalorian's shifting personality "It's a guy named Iblis, we tried to find out where he's hiding…"

"And you know where he is now?" The red haired girl's voice sounded anxious, and just s little blood-thirsty.

"Yeah." Asuka took one final glance at Hikari, then stood up and looked straight into the young pilot's eyes.

"All right then," she said, flipping her hair nonchalantly "I'm going with you."

"Eh? What?" Shinji asked confused. He couldn't possibly have heard _that _right. Asuka put her hands on her hips and looked a bit annoyed.

"I said 'I'm going with you', y'know, help you catch the bastard who did this to Hikari." Shinji thought it over and nodded. Indeed, his reason to hunt down the rebel leader was actually quite similar to the red head's.

"Sure," he said with a smile "I'll ask Misato-san if she can set you up on this one." He turned to ask Rei if she wanted to go training with him, though to his disappointment found that the girl had already gone.

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Hours later, a shadow stalked through the corridors of the _Ramiel_. Where it walked it did so unnoticed, neither sight nor sound betrayed its passing. The star destroyer had entered hyperspace mode quite a while ago and as such most of the corridors were empty. Only a few crewmembers were required to navigate the ship and everyone not thusly needed had gone to sleep. The shadow knew this, yet still it moved stealthily, minimizing any risk of detection.

It darted down another corridor, one containing several sleeping cells, and let its blood-red gaze travel swiftly over the doors until it found what it sought. The shadow went up to the steel door and put its hand against the cold surface, while its eyes seemingly tried to pierce through the metal barrier. Thus it stood, completely still, for a long time, until it aired a small sigh, removing its hand and disappearing the way it came.

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"Okay people," Misato said over the video link "Ritsuko has got some info for you about what you might run into down there so listen carefully." Shinji and Rei nodded, while Asuka merely gave a bored yawn. The teens were aboard the _Kyoko Zeppelin_ which had just flown out of the _Ramiel's_ hangar setting course for the barren planet below. Pen-pen had been allowed to come with them, since he felt most at home inside the ship.

"Right," Ritsuko said when her face replaced the purple haired captain's on the video screen "Tatooine can be quite dangerous, it's mostly home to pirates and smugglers, and our influence on the planet is week, most of it being controlled by those vile and amoral Hutts." The blonde woman spat the final word out as if it had been some highly distasteful type of food.

"Anyway, we assume that Iblis is hiding in a town called Anchorhead, since we have reports that a few other rebels are hiding there as well. Your best shot is to visit local bars and other such places and ask around, that'll give you a good opportunity to test you Mind Trick, Shinji-kun."

"Um… I'll try" the boy said uncertainly. Ritsuko nodded, that was good enough for her.

"Okay, good luck then." She finished, and the video link went dark. Asuka gave Shinji a suspicious look.

"Mind Trick? What the hell is that?" she asked "Don't tell me you're some kind of _Jetii_, 'cause I know they don't exists."

"We're not Jedi" Rei said quietly. Asuka shot her a dirty glare.

"I didn't ask _you_, droid-girl" she lashed out. Shinji sweat dropped.

'_I wonder if we'll survive this mission…'_ he thought glumly.

The _Kyoko Zeppelin_ descended swiftly, and after only ten minutes they saw the small town of Anchorhead.Since there were no major landing platforms, Asuka instead steered them towards the outskirts of the town, putting the ship down on the sun-baked ground. A few moments later the teens were walking down the ramp, blinking as their eyes were assaulted by Tatooine's twin suns.

"This sucks…" Asuka commented, and then turned to the black and white bird standing at the top of the ramp.

"Pen-pen," she said in a commanding voice "watch the ship while were gone, 'kay?" The penguin raised its flipper in a salute and went back into the ship, after which the hatch closed behind him.

"Now," Asuka began with her eyes still on the ship "first we need a leader for this operation, and since I'm the natural choice, I'll be taking this….HEY!" Turning around to address her audience, the armoured Mandalorian saw the backs of Shinji and Rei as they were on their way towards the nearest buildings.

"Hey, wait up!" Asuka called after them as she started running to catch up.

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The trip into town lasted for barely fifteen minutes, though this proved to be ample time for two thirds of the small group to become tired, sweaty and thirsty. Not surprisingly, Rei was the one not affected by the heat radiated by the twin suns. Shinji wasn't much bothered by that though, being quite used to the blue haired girl being a bit odd. Asuka however, was frustrated to no end.

'_How DARE that droid-bitch look so cool while I'm suffering like a dog!?'_ she mentally fumed while wiping the sweat of her forehead and trying to come up with some plan of revenge.

Soon enough they reached Anchorhead, though that didn't do much in the temperature department. Obviously not wanting to stay longer than necessary on this burnt piece of rock in the middle of nowhere, Shinji quickly produced the small holo-map to consult if for where they were to go now. The first thing the boy had done in preparing for this mission had been to take charge of the holo-map, since he didn't want a repetition of the events in the Blue Light district.

"I think we should go…this way," he decided after a moment, pointing down one of the sandy streets.

"Now hold on a sec!" Asuka interrupted "who made you the leader anyway?" The meek boy deflated a bit.

"I-I dunno, I just…" The armoured girl huffed at him.

"Oh yeah, you're definitely _mand'alor_ material" she said sarcastically "what makes you so sure we should take this way then?"

"Well… um, since there is a cantina and…"

"A cantina?" The red head lit up. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?!" she exclaimed excitedly and almost ran down the street. The two remaining teens exchanged glances.

"Do you think she's got a bipolar disorder or something?" Shinji asked.

"Perhaps…" Rei said ponderously. The boy glanced at Asuka's back, trying to figure out if she could hear him or not.

"Do you really think we can work with her?" he said as quietly as possible. The blue haired girl made a small shrug.

"I will if I am ordered to" she said bluntly.

"Hey, _di'kut_, droid-girl, quit slacking already!" Asuka called out at them from further down the street. Shinji heaved a sigh and quickly went over, shortly followed by the ruby eyed girl.

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The cantina The Weary Traveller was a humble business. It had a small bar, a tiny scene and several round tables around which sat a great variety of species. The bar was run by a scruffy Toydarian with the occasional help of a badly maintained and slightly confused droid. On the scene a band of four plus two singers was playing a song of high spirits in Huttese.

Asuka walked boldly inside, grateful to be out of the suns, went straight for the nearest available table and took a seat. Rei and Shinji followed with a little more caution, though this was mostly the naturally nervous boy's doing. The unshaven Toydarian soon detected them and flew over.

"_Hutta na nolia!" _he greeted, following up with _"Hi chuba da naga?"_

"Eh, pardon?" Shinji asked. Asuka rolled her eyes.

"What a _di'kut_," she commented "he asked if we want to order something."

"Um, no thanks…" the meek boy said.

"You're even more stupid than I thought," Asuka sneered "'course we have to order something if we're in a bar." She turned to the somewhat impatiently flapping Toydarian "You got any Geonosian wine?" she asked. The bartender grinned and nodded.

"_Eh, da wanga dwana jee-jee,"_ he said and then directed his attention to the two imperials _"Um chuba?"_

"I'll order for them," Asuka inflicted "give them… two _Boga Noga_." The bartender looked sceptically at Shinji and Rei.

"_Hoohah yocola da?"_ he inquired. The armoured girl grinned and nodded. The Toydarian shrugged and flew of to the bar to fetch their drinks. Shinji looked quizzically at Asuka, her grin had made him quite nervous.

"Um, what did you just order us?" he asked timidly.

"Just wait and see…" the Mandalorian answered cryptically.

Soon the flying bartender returned with a platter on which stood three drinks, two of which looked highly conspicuous, especially with the green smoke coming out of them. He put them down on the table, one in front of each teen, and then went away to serve other customers. Asuka happily brought her glass to her mouth, took a sip and made smiled contently.

"Mmm, that's really good, especially in a place like this." Shinji took a sip of his drink as well, though with extreme caution.

"Hack… gaahk!" Shinji choked once the burning concoction passed down his throat. The world began to spin and suddenly without warning, the floor shot up against him, striking the boy hard in the head while Asuka laughed her ass off.

"Hahaha…that was just…haha…too great!" the red head hooted and almost fell off her own chair. The dizzy and humiliated Shinji tried vainly to stand up on shaky legs but promptly collapsed again, causing Asuka to once again roar out with laughter.

"What a wimp," she mocked the suffering boy "can't even handle a small drink." That didn't make Shinji's life much easier, as he with extreme difficulty got back on top of his chair and took a firm grip on the table so as to not fall back down.

Meanwhile, Rei, who hadn't even touched her drink, was subjugating the gleeful red head to her most core-chilling stare. Asuka, with an impressive display of self control, managed to avoid flinching. Instead she flipped her hair and smirked.

"Don't worry," she said reassuringly "it wears of quickly, and you have to admit he looked dead funny down on the floor." Rei didn't respond, causing a vein to erupt on the mandalorian girl's forehead.

"Some people just don't understand a joke…" she mumbled crossly. Shinji had now recovered enough so as to once again being capable of coherent speech, as well as coherent thought.

"Anyone caught the number of that star destroyer?" he slurred groggily.

"Okay," Asuka whispered in a conspiratorial voice "let's get down to business." With that she called once more for the Toydarians attention.

"_Chuba vopa andoba?"_ he asked hopefully. Asuka nodded and pointed at her own glass, signalling for one more. The scruffy bartender grinned and swooped away to fetch another one. When he returned with the girl's glass, Asuka gave him a handsome tip.

"We'd like to ask some questions," she began "and we're willing to pay for it." To make her point clear she waved with her credit chip. The Toydarian nodded and took a seat.

"Can you speak basic?" Shinji inquired.

"Ye, a bit" the bartender said with a heavy accent.

"Okay, that's good" the boy said thankfully. He then took a moment to formulate next question. "Are there any new regulars here?" he finally said. The Toydarian scratched his snout and chin thoughtfully.

"Ye, two or three, methinks" he answered.

"Any humans?" Asuka asked.

"One, da _dopa-maskey_ ova' dere" he said and pointed into one of the darker corners where a lone figure sat staring down into his half empty glass. "Ey," the bartender suddenly asked "dat guy, 'e has been doin' somethin', er… illegal?"

"Um, no, we just want to talk to him about something" Shinji said hurriedly. The Toydarian nodded knowingly.

"Dat bad, eh? Jus' don' do a mess, okeey?" With that he swooped away to serve another customer, though not before taking his extra payment.

"Right," Asuka said enthusiastically, emptying her glass and standing up "let's get the guy already!" She began to make way between the tables towards the corner.

"Hey wait!" Shinji attempted, but seeing as the girl was on a spree, the only thing he and Rei could do was going after the fiery girl, and try containing whatever destruction she might wreak.

When they reached the shady character, Asuka was naturally the one to address him, and she did so in her usual subtle way.

"You Bel Iblis?" she asked bluntly. The man lifted his tired eyes.

"And what if I am?" he retorted.

"Then you are arrested by force of Imperial law" Rei proclaimed. The half drunk man tried to focus his vision and saw the imperial insignias on Shinji and Rei's black uniforms.

"Well I'll be damned… they're doing kids now as well?" he muttered to himself "Listen kids, I don't know what they've told you, but I'm not a bad guy." Asuka angrily grabbed the man's shirt.

"You tell that to my buddy you fucking sonnova bitch!" she growled "Hikari almost died in your little booby trap, and you've got the nerve to say you're not a bad guy?" Iblis looked shocked for a moment, sobering up a bit, but then he got a stern look in his blood-shot eyes.

"I'm sorry about your friend, I really am," he said truthfully "but you've got no idea what Empire has done to me, and to billions of others, or what they plan to do…"

"I don't give a shit about that!" the armoured girl spat "You hurt my friend, and you're gonna to pay for it." She brought out her recently 'acquired' WESTAR-34 and pointed it at the drunkard. Iblis didn't get very intimidated though, instead he just flashed a smug smile. Shinji was now beginning to suspect that the man wasn't half as drunk as he seemed.

"You know, they really shouldn't send kids to do these jobs," the rebel leader said with a chuckle "'cause you all lack fundamental skill."

"Like what?" Asuka asked, more out of anger than actual curiosity. Iblis chuckled again.

"Like you should never have a chat with your target…" he said as he moved his hands unnoticed to the edge of the table "…and, you should never underestimate… the power… of a bar fight!" He yelled the final part out at the top of his lungs and at the same time threw the table over with such force that it struck the red haired Mandalorian down and continued into the nearest table where two Gamorreans sat.

The green brutes immediately began to beat each other, until one crashed into another table with two lupine Shistavanen along with a female Twi'lek. From there it all went straight to hell as more and more guests were joining the fight, trashing furniture as well as each others. The Toydarian and his droid tried to calm the crowd, but soon found that impossible and instead opted for fleeing behind the bar.

Rei, Shinji and Asuka all managed to stay out of the fight, however, after their initial shock had subsided they found that Iblis had fled out of the cantina as soon as the calamities began. The teens quickly began to make their way out as well, though the brawl of course made this extremely difficult. Though with Asuka's fists and Rei's Force Pushes, and to a lesser extent Shinji's attempts on both, they made a relatively good pace, and could exit without too many bruises. However, when the teens once again came under the merciless light of the twin suns they were only just in time to see Iblis speed away in a hijacked speeder.

"_Osik!"_ Asuka exclaimed and began a long jargon of curse words in her own language. While she was occupied doing that however, Shinji and Rei went over to a guy who had just parked his green and blue speeder nearby.

"Um, excuse me?" Shinji asked politely. The man looked annoyed.

"What d'ya want, runt?" he said crossly.

"Could we um, borrow your speeder? It's really important" The man scoffed.

"In your dreams…" he said scornfully. Shinji decided to take a different approach. He tried to focus for a bit, thought out what to say and then he waved his hand suggestively.

"You… will… let us borrow your speeder" he said slowly. The man looked a bit puzzled, but then nodded.

"I'll let'ya borrow… my speeder…" he repeated and gave the keys to the boy in the black uniform. Shinji gave Rei a smile.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this" he said cheerfully.

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"I can't believe you talked someone into giving you their speeder!" Asuka yelled over the humming of the engines as the speeder raced over the sun-baked ground. "I mean, you're such a spineless wimp," the red head continued "who would ever want to give you anything?"

Shinji ignored the Mandalorian's ranting about how worthless he was however, since he was the one driving, and found the task much more difficult than he ever imagined. Firstly, there were at least a hundred different controls, and five stat-screens, all in Nal-Huttese writing, something he was wholly unable to read. Thus the craft was unpredictable at best, and they had already been near death on several occasions during the time period of roughly thirty minutes.

On the plus side however, they were finally catching up with their prey. Even though Iblis had gotten a good head start, mostly due to Shinji having to experiment a little with their transport to make it work, it was still much slower. Thus, the three teens were now effectively reducing the space between the two crafts, though it had taken them more than half an hour, and had brought them to a rocky area with some high cliffs and deep canyons which the map identified as the Jundland Waste.

Suddenly, while whooshing by a rocky wall, a series of shots was heard and Iblis' speeder began to act very erratically. It slid hence and forth in a snaky motion, one side tilted downwards and hitting into the rocky ground smoke emitting from one of the engines. As he approached a wide chasm the rebel leader got the choice to either stop his speeder, or most likely plunge into an explosive death. He chose the former, hitting the brakes and jumping out of the craft to get a running start.

But a man on foot is no match for a speeder, and within seconds the blue and green speeder was close enough for Rei to jump out of it and land right in front of the fleeing man, pointing her blood red lightsabre at his chest.

"Surrender" the girl said quietly, while Shinji, with some difficulty, brought their borrowed speeder to a halt a few metres away, allowing for him and Asuka to join in the arrest.

"What's that?" Asuka asked as they ran and pointed at the glowing weapon in Rei's hand "Is that… a _lightsabre_?" Shinji nodded.

"Yeah, I've got one too" he said, bringing his own weapon out and activating it.

"Who the hell _are_ you guys!?" the red haired girl exclaimed as she brought out her WESTER-34.

"They're bloody_ idiots_, that's for sure!" Iblis raged, seemingly ignoring the rod of energy being pointed at his midsection, which now had been accompanied by another sabre as well as a slightly familiar gun.

"How so?" Shinji asked, impressed that the man still showed so much courage even while facing defeat. Iblis glared at the boy.

"Because, this happens to be_ tusken_ land," he growled "and those sand people aren't too friendly against intruders! What do you think happened to my speeder? A bloody _flat tire_ perhaps!?" Asuka and Shinji glanced around nervously, trying to detect any approaching enemies. Rei, however, didn't move so much as an inch.

"That is of no concern," she proclaimed, still with her trademark monotone "you are coming with us." As soon as the ruby eyed girl had said that however, she suddenly felt a strong presence. Shinji also felt it, though to his less attuned senses it only appeared as slight uneasiness.

'_A disturbance…'_ Rei blinked at the sudden revelation and without warning made a spin followed by a high leap, and barely avoided the blue flash of light wielded by a figure in a brown cloak.

"Ayanami!" Shinji exclaimed in fright. The girl landed nimbly a few feet behind her assaulter, though the hooded man spun around as well to meet up with her. Rei's normally serene countenance now changed in subtle yet disturbing ways, with her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"_Jedi_" she hissed. The figure then did something quite unexpected; it laughed, and then it removed its hood, revealing an aging man with a short beard and grey hair and wearing a soft smile.

"H-he's a Jedi?" Shinji asked incredulously. The man wasn't anything Shinji had expected a Jedi to be like, no demonic grin nor was he inhumanly deformed or anything else the stories said were typical trademarks of Jedi. The boy couldn't help but feeling slightly disappointed as another children's myth was proven false.

"Oh no, I'm not a Jedi," the old man said, still smiling, though he kept weary guard on the three teens, especially Rei "I retired a long time ago, though you can't really blame an old man for dreaming back to his glory days, now could you?"

"My Master demands your removal" Rei said bluntly, her eyes still narrowed, as she got into an aggressive stance. Sorrow momentarily overtook the old Jedi's features.

"I don't wish to fight you, but if you give me no other choice then I will defend myself" he said while raising his sabre defensively. Without any further warning, the ruby eyed girl attacked and the sabres of the two duellers met with a sizzling, crackling sound, the man and the girl testing the others strength before Rei leapt away once more.

Shinji was completely transfixed by the fight, by the sight of Rei once again performing her beautiful dance. The girl leapt, glided, made pirouettes and other moves which the boy couldn't even describe. Yet the old Jedi held his defence, blocking every strike, avoiding every attack, though it was obviously straining his aging body to its limits. The azure haired girl once jumped high into the air, intent on cleaving her enemy from head to feet, though the old man raised his sabre and braced himself, blocking the attack and sending sparks flying as the two rods of light met again.

Rei made another dash, tried to reach around the Jedi so she could slice into his back, or perhaps pierce it, yet once again she was foiled. The girl's eyes was slowly starting to glow a deep red which almost outshone her sabre as she continued her assault with even greater frenzy. Yet still the geezer held his ground, and strangely, while Rei was attaining limits of agitation previously unseen to Shinji, the Jedi seemed to grow calmer by the minute.

Then it happened, Rei had once again performed a leap at the old man, set on cutting his stomach open, when the Jedi not only parried the attack, but retaliated by using his hand and using the force to push the girl away. The ruby eyed girl voiced a weak yelp as she fell to the ground, completely exhausted as her mad fighting had drained nearly all of her energy.

During the duel, Shinji and Asuka as well as their prisoner had been completely paralyzed only able to stare in amazement at the battle. However, when he heard the faint cry and saw Rei fall, Shinji finally managed to break the spell.

"Rei!" he called out and dashed over to the two combatants, leaving Asuka to guard the rebel leader. The boy reached the girl in the blink of an eye and went on the offensive against the powerful foe. The Jedi gave him a benevolent smile.

"A chivalrous act, my boy," he complimented "there could perhaps be hope for you."

"I don't need your lies!" Shinji yelled and prepared to strike with his sabre, yet suddenly his body refused to obey him and is mind became more and more clouded.

"What… are you…doing?" the boy managed to ask. Once again the Jedi smiled.

"Saving you and your friends" he said. Back at the speeder Shinji saw Asuka slowly collapsing to the ground, next to a very surprised looking Iblis, apparently affected by the same malady.

"You're… not… getting… away…" the young pilot mumbled before the world around him turned completely black.

SsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsS

Garm Bel Iblis was busily trying to come up with a plan to get out of the tight spot he'd found himself in when suddenly the eyelids of his last remaining captor became increasingly heavy and finally closed shut and she fell to the ground. He starred at the sleeping girl for a moment's time until he saw the other kids falling asleep in the same way and his saviour approaching him.

"Garm Bel Iblis, I presume?" the Jedi asked.

"That's me," Garm answered "and you must be that Obi-Wan Kenobi that Organa and Mothma keeps bragging about, right?" Obi-Wan nodded.

"That's right," he said "now, before anything else; would you like to help me with these young ones?" Garm looked a bit quizzically at the old man.

"What for? Can't we just leave them here?" he asked, quite anxious to get away from the wasteland, his speech about the sand people hadn't been an empty threat after all.

"No, we can't" Obi-Wan said firmly as he picked the blue haired girl up and carried her away to the unbroken speeder "Besides, this will be a perfect cover up, a second staged death if you like." Garm was becoming even more puzzled, and slightly annoyed.

"Cover up? Once they wake up they'll go hunting after me again!" The old Jedi dropped the girl gently into the front seat and went to fetch the boy.

"Wrong again Iblis, do you mind if I call you Iblis? Right," he said cheerfully "I'll be changing these children's memories just a little so they will only remember that you crashed to your death in your speeder once it was shot down." Obi-Wan put the snoozing boy down in the driver's seat and went for the sleeping firebrand.

"And to make the whole thing believable, we will have to push your speeder down that canyon over there, it won't be of much use anyhow." Garm thought the plan over as the geezer laid the final teen into the back seat and preparing to get to work on them.

"Okay, I guess you're right…" the rebel leader admitted grudgingly. Obi-Wan only nodded as he was now fully occupied with planting false memories. When he came to the minds of the two imperials, he accidentally found something quite interesting.

"Wonder if I should…" he mused quietly, but then smiled and shook his head "No… they should find it out for themselves." He quickly finished his task and made some mental cleanup to hide his presence and then went over to the derelict speeder.

"Now, do you think you can give me a hand with this?" he asked Iblis "It'll go much faster."

"Yeah, yeah, alright" Garm said and went over to help the old man out.

SsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsS

_To be continued…_

AN: Not much to say really, fic turned out okay, some action, some romance (kinda) just like it says in the info. A small note on relationships; I'm not entirely sure if Asuka and Hikari are in a simple sisterly/just-friends or if there's gonna be something more, or if they'll all be fighting over Shinji like a piece of meat (Rei: I said I don't eat meat, dammit!). Now I'll fill out some space with what I plan for the next chap (just a small teaser).

Imperial Day is coming up, and our heroes return to the capital to celebrate it, I'm planning to poke as much fun with the Empire as possible here, so be warned. There's probably going to be more romance than action. Oh and yes, the two stooges, Kensuke and Touji will make a comeback.

Vocabulary

Asuka (mostly swearwords)

_Di'kut_! Idiot! (replacing Japanese Baka!)

_Chakaare_ Bastards

_Shabla hut'uunla di'kut_! Fucking coward idiot! (coward is _very_ insulting in mando'a)

_Mand'alor_ The leader of the Mandalorians

_Osik! _Shit!

The Toydarian (whom I imagined kinda like a retired Watto)

_Hutta na nolia!_ Honour to the customer!

_Hi chuba da naga _What do you want?

_Eh, da wanga dwana jee-jee_ Yeah, we've got that

_Um chuba?_And you (two)?

_Hoohah yocola da?_ They can drink that? (he knows how strong the drink is, see below)

_Chuba vopa andoba? _Would you like another?

_Dopa-maskey_ Two-faced (I use it to mean shifty, conspicuous, a guy with two faces is pretty conspicuous, right?)

_Boga Noga_ is an extremely strong drink (as evident from Shinji's reaction), very likely to cause lasting brain damage. Though its appearance and short effect was my own invention, don't know what it's like for real.

Now for some answers to reviews:

To Zeroeye: I'll try but Asuka is a main character so she's hard to make small, though I could ridicule her if you'd like me to, I'm pretty good at that.

To Konous: He that's a scary thought, though I think I read somewhere that Mandalorians don't make differences between the sexes, everyone's just simply a Mandalorian.

Okay, saying ambition is evil might have been too harsh, but I was tired when I wrote it so I'll forgive myself. Actually, your explanation made a lot more sense.

And finally about Rei not arguing; I think that that little detour wasn't much of a hindrance to the mission, Rei would only protest of order refusal, or some other act that clearly contradicts the objective. Saving a trapped girl doesn't do that.

To Wesley Nichols: Turning dark at the blink of an eye, that sounds like a very rough simplification. I agree that the 'dark' side is a journey, just as the 'light' side, and one which a person can never reach the end of. And I personally don't like the word 'evil', not even Palpatine or Stalin were 'evil', just horribly insane from my point of view, though perfectly 'good' from their own. As most things in this world everything is about your point of view.

To Gunman: You're gonna notice that I litter reverences to EVA throughout the whole fic, it's just something that gets me off, maybe you noticed I named Asuka's ship after her mother in EVA?

To the unknown reviewer who gave me the idea for the chapter's end: THANK YOU! I'd never had come up with that on my own, and it turned out really cool, so once again thank you!

To Da Plague: Okay I'll see what I can do about Rei's past (actually tried to incorporate it in this fic but I couldn't, oh well maybe next time).

To Aneirin: I'm anxious to see what your story is like; would you note me when it gets posted?

To JediMasterDarjaak: Oh man, a real SW fan? Shit I need to keep a high standard here it seems (grins).

Dark vs Light? Cool idea, I'll use it if you don't mind, though there was a hint of it in this chap, though Obi would never beat people up (I think).

Actually, this fic is set about three years before Yavin, so the x-wing would be in existence (maybe), but I imagined headhunters, though most of the fighters where boosted trade ships and such (ice-cream- and flying-restaurant fighters) to make them less conspicuous.

General answer: It seems most people liked my version of Asuka (told ya so), and I'm happy for that, and for all the other praise I get all the time. Haha, my head'll soon be too big to fit through a door!

That's all, may the force be with you!

Ausir.


	8. Chapter 7

Hello everyone, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! This update took quite some time to do, but it's finally finished. So without further ado, here's chapter 7.

On with the Fic!

(_Augie's Great Municipal band _plays)

_**Fly Me to the Stars**_

_A Star Wars/Evangelion x-over by Ausir_

_Chapter 7_

The suns shone brightly as three teens in a lonely speeder in the outskirts of the Junland wastes began to stir from what could either have been deep sleep or unconsciousness. The three sat up simultaneously, but appeared to be only semi-conscious, as their eyes were still half closed. Suddenly, one of the teens, a girl with fiery red hair, blinked a few times and momentarily looked as if she tried to remember a dream but then saw the expressions on her companions which easily pulled her attention away from the faint memory.

"Hey, _di'kut_!" an aggravated voice suddenly thundered through Shinji's aching head. "Stop staring into space like that! It creeps me out!"

"Huh, wha…?" Shinji said groggily, white dots dancing before his eyes as he tried to focus. "What… happened?" he managed to ask. A snort was heard.

"Iblis got away, the cowardly bastard." Finally Shinji was able to identify the audibly annoyed voice, namely a certain red haired and quite ill-tempered Mandalorian. However, it still took a while before what she was saying got through to the dazed boy.

"Hey wait!" he called out when his mind was at last able to process the latest input "Iblis escaped!?" The cobalt eyed pilot started to flail his head rapidly from side to side in the vague intent of finding out where the rebel leader had escaped to.

"Sure did," Asuka said disdainfully and pointed down the canyon which stretched out before them "took the easy way out."

Shinji, only now seeing the black smoke rising from the gorge, got out of the speeder, walked up to the edge of the steep cliff and gazed down. At the far bottom of the chasm lay the smouldering remains of what until recently had been a navy blue land-speeder, small flames still dancing on scattered parts of the wreck. Shinji couldn't see any body, though he reckoned that no-one would have survived such a fall, much less the explosion which must have followed. The young pilot blinked.

'_Explosion?' _he thought _'No, it was…something else…'_ The boy stared absently at the smoke rising from the derelict transport far below as he tried to sort his mind out.

'_I… could've sworn I saw a… and Rei was…'_ By the thought of the blue haired girl, Shinji immediately felt what seemed to be a lingering yet still acute fear for her safety. He spun around and darted back towards the speeder, where the two girls sat, Asuka with her arms crossed and with an bored expression, and Rei, looking rather puzzled at her companion's queer behaviour but otherwise perfectly fine.

"Ikari-kun," the girl with the alizarin eyes said, the faintest hint of concern in her voice "Are you all right?"

"Y-yeah," Shinji assured her, blushing slightly as he realised this had been the most obvious show of caring he'd ever seen the cryptic girl display "A-are you?" he asked her. Rei blinked, evidently surprised by the inquiry.

"Yes" she answered simply. Asuka let out a disgusted snort.

"_Di'kut_," she said in a resentful tone "stop being all lovey-dovey with your droid and get in, our job's finished." Shinji blushed even more, mumbling an excuse as he got into the speeder and prepared to start it up. He froze when suddenly a thought hit him like a crashing star destroyer.

"Do…any of you remember actually _seeing _Iblis crash?" he asked carefully.

"Of course we did!" Asuka yelled, though she secretly admitted that her memories were a bit fuzzy, but she wasn't going to let Shinji or anyone else know that. Rei seemed more openly sceptical.

"There appears to be no remains…" she said a bit ponderously, earning a glare from Asuka which she did not respond to. Shinji nodded.

"Yes, do you think he could've escaped?" The firebrand behind him huffed in frustration.

"Oh come _on_, you can't survive that kind of fall, you just can't!" Asuka ascertained "'Specially not if the speeder you're sitting in goes BOOM! The bastard's fried, and I'll be too if we don't get out of this fucking heat!" Shinji shoved away his paranoid suspicions that had been buzzing through his mind, desperately seeking attention. After all, it could just be the heat, causing his brain to short-circuit.

Yet as the speeder roared, making a narrow turn away from the canyon and burst back towards Anchorhead, Shinji saw Rei casting a swift glance over her shoulder towards the rapidly disappearing chasm. Had the thought not been completely ludicrous, the boy would have thought he had seen the girl frown, before the girl's countenance turned as inexpressive as usual.

SsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsS

Mengel V, a barren, desolate wasteland situated near the galaxy core. Its atmosphere consists solely of corrosive fumes and toxic waste which would instantly kill all but the toughest of life-forms. This sinister world had once been a secret test facility in the glory days of the Republic but had at some point fallen into obscurity up until the Clone Wars, when the Emperor had found a new niche for it within his dark schemes.

Hidden below the barren rocks of Mengel V's surface now lay top secret scientific facilities where everything from advanced cloning techniques to specially engineered diseases were being researched. In one of the lowest underground levels was a dark and perfectly circular room, restricted to everyone but two characters, three if you counted the one enclosed in the glowing cylinder occupying the centre of the room. One of the other two was a quite young man with shoulder-long hair clad in a Lieutenant's uniform. The other was an ominous-looking and quite tall man sporting a beard and orange-tinted glasses.

Gendo silently watched the dormant figure which was floating about in its spaarti cylinder. The creature had deathly pale skin, because it had never seen the light of day, and silvery hair which floated gently in the surrounding liquid like mist. Its eyes were closed in peaceful slumber, and on its lips rested a slightly bemused smile. Frankly, it gave the bearded man the willies, though he would never admit to that. Instead, he would just stare blankly at the thing.

Actually, he had no real reason to dislike the creature, indeed, if hadn't been for the thing in the glass tube, he would never have a chance to see _her_ again. The creation of a functional human body out of merely basic elements had been a great success, even though it had taken many failures to reach. Now, Gendo hoped to be allowed his 'private research' as soon as the thing in the tank had been shipped away to the capital.

Suddenly the figure, which had until now rested peacefully, twitched its left hand and its eyes began to move beneath their lids. Gendo shot an inquiring glare at Aoba, his second in command and the only other that had access to this particular room beside him. The long haired technician took a peak at the values displayed on the many different screens.

"He appears to be stirring" he reported. Gendo pushed his tinted glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Yes, I can see that" he said coldly, causing Aoba to gulp "How soon?" the intimidating man asked. His second checked the values again.

"In a few days time, maybe…" Aoba said "he should awake around Imperial Day." Gendo smiled humourlessly.

"How ironic…" the bearded man commented as he watched the floating boy move slightly once more. Gendo raised a gloved hand to push his dark shades up the bridge of his nose, turned on his heel and walked towards the door.

"I will make the preparations" he said bluntly as he walked through the heavily armoured doors, leaving Aoba alone with the silver-haired boy.

The lieutenant stole a glance at the thing in its glowing tank and tried not to shudder. He sincerely hoped the Commander would return soon. Even if the man wasn't very good company, not at all in fact, it was still much better than being alone with _that_. The sooner it got shipped to Coruscant, he reasoned, the better.

SsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsS

Coruscant was in complete and utter chaos, though the mess was by no way akin to that which the rebel assault had caused several months prior. No, it was of the fashion which every city experiences whenever some major holiday or festival is coming up. Legions of reassigned storm troopers where busily at work with putting up Imperial banners and banderols on almost every vertical surface, and government buildings as well as all public art where undergoing extensive beautification, all for the greater glory of the New Order.

However, it wasn't just Big Brother who was up and about; the citizens were busily at work as well. They set up small temporary shops and restaurants, arranged for all kinds of public entertainment, from inviting several musical bands (those which had been stately approved, of course) to setting up plays and the every so popular alien shows, featuring various 'sub-human' species in daring and most often fatal displays (kids _loved_ seeing the fishlike MonCals dance on hot coals!).

When the _Ramiel_ burst out from light speed and went into orbit around the city-planet, it was still a few days before the big event. By general agreement, that is to say the generals agreed, the crew was to stay onboard up until Imperial Day since there wasn't really much to do down there anyways. Though quite a few out of the crew would grumble, well out of earshot naturally, since you didn't survive long in the Empire by grumbling, Shinji had no problems with the arrangement at all.

The boy was currently sitting by a table in the ship's main lounge staring through one of the huge panorama windows, contemplating on the bright world below, while occasionally taking sips of his muja fruit and banana soda drink. Frankly, the young imperial wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to go back to what had so long been his home. Over the course of a life-time, he had only acquired a few friends, most of which could actually only be considered acquaintances as he only saw them at school. And school was a place which he would probably not see too much of in any conceivable future. And his apartment, which previously had been a place of love and security, had come to feel progressively cold, empty and frighteningly large.

The boy heaved a sigh, completely caught up in his bleak inner musings. He was so caught up in fact, that he didn't acknowledge the presence of his captain until she was standing right in front of him.

"Hey Shinji, what's with the gloomy face?" the purple haired woman asked cheerfully, taking a seat opposite her moping subordinate "Guess your depressed cause Imperial Day is still a few days away, huh?" she asked, hitting as far off the mark as humanly possible. Shinji, who even though he knew the captain was talking to him, didn't feel like responding, kept quiet and continued to stare out the window. Misato blinked.

'_Boy, what's up with him?'_ she thought _'I know it's tough waiting for something this fun but…well, I guess I'll have to lighten his mood a bit.'_ The purple haired captain took a sip from her drink while preparing to enter teasing mode.

"So, Shin-chan," she said playfully "who's gonna be the lucky lady?" Shinji, who had absently been taking a gulp from his drink, instantly spurted the juice in a colourful fountain. To the meek boy's credit should be noted that he skilfully managed to keep both him and the woman sitting across from him dry.

'_Bingo'_ the playful captain thought. A good teasing never failed.

"W-w-what!?" the boy stuttered after regaining some of his composure, eyes wide open in terror while his face switched colour to bright crimson "What are you saying Misato-san!?" The purple haired woman hooted with laughter.

"Oh, Shin-chan, you're always so cute when you're blushing!" she said, ruffling the boy's hair affectionaly "Now spill it, who're you gonna take out for Imperial Day? It won't do to go all by yourself, you know." The boy made quite a few odd sounds before he managed to regain control of his speech.

"M-Misato-san!" he blurted out. The captain smiled affectionately at him.

"Me? Aw, that's sweet Shin-chan, but I think you should be dating someone your own age…"

"D-d-dating?" Shinji stammered.

"Come on now, you've got three pretty girls to choose from," Misato continued shamelessly, completely ignoring her subordinate's distress, and started to tick the 'alternatives' off on her fingers. "There's Rei, I know you have a thing for her, and that red-headed girl, what's-her-face… Akane? Atsuko?"

"Asuka" Shinji corrected, his face still glowing as bright a red as his lightsabre.

"That's the one!" Misato called out, snapping her fingers and taking another gulp of her drink. "Yeah and there's that freckled girl too. Y'know, she'd probably do _anything_ in thanks for you saving her life, I hope you're mature enough not to take advantage of her…" the purple haired officer hinted with a crooked grin.

"…" Shinji said as his brain was finally overheated by the massing of blood and he fainted. Misato immediately went to the young pilot's side, shaking his shoulders in an attempt to awaken him.

"Maybe I overdid it…" she muttered below her breath before ordering two troopers to fetch some cold water with which to wake up the fallen imperial.

Seemingly unnoticed to Misato, as well as everyone else in the cafeteria, was one Ayanami Rei who had been sitting alone in a dark corner for quite some time. Before Misato had entered, she had been staring quietly at her sad-looking colleague. She had even found herself contemplating whether she should try to make contact with him, though she had forcefully suppressed that urge. Whatever had given her that unforeseen fancy it would have had to go against a life-time of training, a fight it had had no chance of winning… yet.

Indeed, as the geranium eyed mystery saw the source of her inner conflict fall off his chair from embarrassment, she had felt her chest tighten, a knot tying itself in her stomach, and had by some impulse involuntarily started to her feet, even taking a few steps in the boy's direction before reclaiming control of her body. It was fortunate that she was an expert in concealing her presence whenever she wished; otherwise she would have drawn quite a few inquisitive stares.

'_Why… why does he affect me so?'_ she asked herself as the troopers who Misato had sent to fetch some water returned and splashed it over the still unconscious pilot's face, instantly awaking him. Rei felt oddly… pleased, as she concluded that Shinji would be fine. However, the girl soon felt her body attempting another revolt as the boy was affectionaly man-handled by the tipsy captain. Before Rei could do something… rash, to the purple haired woman, she managed to enforce herself to leave the cafeteria, heading for a place where she could regain her composure in peace.

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Moments later, Rei entered her provisory meditations chamber onboard the _Ramiel_. The room was like the one to be found in her own apartment, though it lacked the small bowls of glowing liquid, and instead of being painted in a black to mimic the void within… and without, the walls were of a dull grey colour. As she went down to sit on the hard mat in the centre of the room, the alizarin eyed girl pondered that these differences might be the cause of her much failed meditations aboard the _Ramiel_. She quickly discarded this however as she began to clear her thoughts, for she knew _exactly_ what it was that disturbed her inner journeys.

'_Ikari-kun…'_

The procedure which up till recently had been as easy as drawing breath, had transformed into almost an internal battle for dominance as some unknown power tried to push her further and further into places she hadn't even known existed. As she struggled with keeping a straight track, Rei's mind began to rapidly play scattered images of strange impressions for her inner eye, turning the halls of her soul into a pandemonium of confusion… and fear.

"_Your greatest strength is fear, child," _the voice of her Master came, a comfortable darkness in the inferno of light that threatened to overpower her_ "cultivate that fear, and there will be nothing you cannot do." _

As the words of her Master oozed up from the deepest parts of her unconscious self, Rei's microcosm began changing from her present chaos, to the tranquillity of years past. A huge training room, adorned along the walls with twisted shapes, in the centre, herself, aging about nine or ten, wielding a flaming rod of crimson energy, and watching her train, was the cloaked apparition that was her Master. Lord Darth Sidious.

"_But do not rely on fear alone," _the memory of Sidious continued to lecture_ "for power without control is easily thwarted. Instead, amass your fear and rage within an icy shell, to be unleashed like a savage animal upon your enemies." _

The younger Rei nodded and continued her practice. Her moves were graceful, yet still clumsy in comparison to her present, or future, self. Rei contemplated the scene. It was much like every other day of her later childhood. Most of the days she would train alone, though sometimes her Master would join her and add history and philosophy to her program while the girl improved on her fencing and Force skills. Rei felt content as she watched the memories unfold. These had been… happy… times, and so much different than her very earliest training.

The scenery shifted, and Rei saw an even younger version f herself, presumably merely weeks after Sidious had found her, crying in the rain. Little Rei was crying again. Apparently, the present Rei assumed, this was the time of her 'rebirth' as her Master had put it.

"_Tell me what you regard as your greatest strength, so I will know how best to undermine you…"_

"_Tell me of your greatest fear, so I will know which I must force you to face…"_

"_Tell me what you cherish most, so I will know what to take from you…"_

"_Tell me what you crave, so that I might deny you…"_

He had broken her down completely by means of powerful Force techniques and painful Sith drugs. In the end there was just an empty shell left of what had once been Ayanami Rei, but the child had not been able to bring herself to hate the man which had brought her into such a state. For even as he wiped her mind clean and then proceeded with reeducating her, he had done so in a fatherly manner, as if he was raising a daughter, solidifying his young apprentice's devotion and admiration towards him.

But now, strands of light began to trickle down through the surrounding darkness. As the light grew stronger, several images of a certain pilot began to flash, showing him protecting her, feeling worried about her… as well as treating her like a person instead of someone's tool. It was strange and utterly confusing, and yet, she could not deny that on some level… she did not dislike this treatment.

However, the darkness within her was unwilling to accommodate this revelation, forcefully attempting to push it away, completely eradicate it from her memory bank. The ensuing turmoil caused by the opposing factions almost made Rei pass out, and only with great difficulty was she able to make her way back to the waking world. However, as she reopened her eyes and started to get up from her position on the floor, one word still lingered in her thoughts as well as on her lips.

"Ikari-kun…"

The words left a small echo inside the barren room as Rei turned to the door and exited.

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In his Spartan cabin aboard the _Ramiel_, Ikari Shinji was having a dream, a rather pleasant one at that. The images were quite fuzzy, but in his sleep the boy was clearly able to discern both friends and relatives. Yet among this merry gathering there was one face that brought him the most happiness, though it was more elusive than all the others. All he could make out were twin blood orbs framed by misty hair, it could have been white or grey or even blue, he was not sure, yet the figure's smile was as clear as day and made his heart sing.

He was just about to get a better view of the person, when suddenly the happy faces and enjoyable mist promptly disappeared and was replaced by thick, suffocating blackness. A dark voice began to whisper in his ears, though Shinji could not make out the words, for which he was very grateful. He could feel his fear and panic rise, and suddenly he was holding his activated lightsabre, the blade humming comfortably in his hand. However, the light from the sabre now revealed that he was surrounded by menacing figures of shadow.

He started slashing at the spectres, cleaving them into pieces, slaughtering them like animals. By now the adrenaline started to kick in, making the boy's berserk rampage even more frantic as he chased down every single one of the dark apparitions. Yet, ass he cut through the last one, the light suddenly returned, but now piercing and cold, and revealed to him a horrible truth.

Around him lay the scattered remains of everyone from the previous part of his dream, everyone he had ever known or loved. And as his eyes were pulled down by a sinister force to gaze upon the last of his victims, Shinji beheld the massacred form of the owner of the twin red orbs…

"A-ayanami!?" the boy shrieked, falling to his knees by the corpse "No, no, please no!" He started to sob, tears splashing over his mutilated friend, slaughtered by his own hand, and whose face now conveyed emotions it had never done in life. Happiness, love, fear, agony… and death, all were represented in her now still countenance. As Shinji continued to grieve his loss, the dreamscape once more faded to black, the whole world being devoured by an endless void…

Shinji fell out of his bed with a low thud, causing him to awake instantly. The boy took some time to recover from the disturbing dream, the worst he had had since his mother died, but why would they resurface now? As he got back into his bed, the chocolate haired boy contemplated this question for more than two hours without finding an answer. Finally exhausting himself sufficiently to be uncaring if more nightmares would plague him or not, Shinji fell asleep once more.

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At long last it had arrived. Imperial day, the largest holiday in the Empire, and nowhere was it so vehemently celebrated as on Coruscant. The Emperor himself along with his Moffs and other higher-ups where enjoying themselves by watching the great processions of storm troopers as well as flight displays of TIE-fighters and star destroyers. The regular people would take part in the festivities in a more down-to-earth fashion, eating, shopping and watching all kinds of common displays, from dancing and acrobatics to technology exhibits.

"Wow! This is almost as good as the shops on Correlia!" Hikari exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling as she let them roam over the broad range of high-tech gadgets of various and somewhat obscure usage. Asuka sighed and shook her head.

"Really, Hikari, getting all worked up like that over piles of junk …" she began to say, but a nanosecond later, something caught the red-head's eye "Is that… a Z-6 jetpack!?" she called out, seemingly teleporting over to the stand where the jetpack of her dreams lay.

"What was that talk about getting all worked up?" Shinji said insinuatingly. The comment would most likely have earned him an enraged punch, but since the girl was fully occupied with ogling the jetpack she settled for just giving him a snide reply.

"Well," she said, never letting her eyes stray from the technological wonder of self transport "I wouldn't expect _you_ to understand the beauty of such a fine combat enhancing device."

"Now, now, don't argue," Misato said cheerfully while munching on some recently purchased rainbow-coloured alcoholic sweets "you sound just like a married couple."

"The hell we do!" the Mandalorian girl raged.

Shinji sighed, it was good that Misato had found someone else to tease beside him, but did she have to include him when she teased Asuka? While the armoured girl started on a long speech why she never would marry such a spineless, idiotic, bad excuse for a man as Shinji, said cobalt eyed boy carefully glanced at the fifth member of their small party. He actually hadn't thought that Rei would be joining in; holidays didn't seem to be her thing, though… maybe she wanted to spend some time with him?

'_Fhe, yeah right,'_ the young boy thought glumly _'that'd be when gundarks learn how to swim…'_

It should be noted that, had Shinji been more attentive in biology class, he would know that in fact there was an aquatic form of gundarks living in the swamps of Yavin 4. Shinji however reckoned that the reason for the blue haired girl to be here was most likely because Misato had ordered her to. Misato was the kind of person to boss other people around 'for their own good'. Much like the rest of the Imperial officer class in fact.

'_Not that I'm really complaining'_ he thought with a small smile _'It's nice to be together like this without having our job to think about.'_

However happy the boy was about getting some time off though, he was still a bit sad to see that Rei didn't appear to be enjoying herself like everyone else was. Her pale face seemed locked in an expression of indifference, or perhaps polite boredom. Also the frightening vision of her mutilated corpse was still fresh in his memory. Shinji shuddered. Wanting to think of something else the boy instead started to ransack his mind to come up with something his female companion might want to do. Even if he didn't come up with anything, it still kept his mind occupied. That is, until the young pilot suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Ikari, you sly _dog_!" Kensuke exclaimed enviously and grabbed a hold of Shinji's collar as the meek boy spun around to discover from where the voice came "Why do _you_ get to walk around with _four _hot women while _I'm _stuck with Touji here?!"

"Hey man, that hurt…" Touji said with faked indignation as he came up beside his friend "But he's right dude," he said, pointing at Shinji "it's really unfair, 'specially since you've been skipping school for almost a week."

"I-I didn't skip," Shinji defended himself "It's just that…um, stuff came up…"

"_Riiiight_" Kensuke said sarcastically "I'm sure you've had a really _hard _time." Shinji sweat dropped.

'_If you only knew…'_

"Say, what's this? Some kind of class reunion?" an unfamiliar voice said jovially. An unshaven man with a ponytail and scruffy reddish-brown uniform walked up to the three boys.

"Nope, uncle Kaji," Kensuke said "this is a priority one interrogation." The man chuckled.

"Ken, leave interrogation to me and your dad, you wouldn't want us to lose our jobs, right?" He eyed Shinji with a hint of interest "'Sides, what exactly is it you want him to tell you?"

"Why he gets to walk around on Imperial day with four chicks and we ain't got none!" Kensuke almost yelled. Kaji chuckled even louder.

"Hey, four girls, that beats my high score…" he said light-heartedly "so where are those fine ladies anyway?"

Kensuke pointed to where Misato and the others where currently standing, a jewellery stand, where the captain was vainly trying to get Rei to try on a pair of earrings. Hikari had found a delicate electrum bracelet and Asuka was waiting for the right opportunity to snatch a few rings and maybe a necklace when the store keeper wasn't looking. As soon as Kaji's eyes fell on Misato, a lecherous grin appeared on his face.

"Well, well, well…" he said and walked straight up to the purple haired woman.

"Come on now, Rei," Misato was just saying as Kaji sneaked up behind her "these sapphires would fit perfectly with your hair…" She was cut off when she felt a tap on her shoulder and heard a horribly familiar voice.

"Hi Babe, long time no see!" The captain furiously spun around and pointed an accusing finger at the unshaven man in front of her.

"W-w-w-what the HELL are _you_ doing here?!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, I got a leave from my work at Imperial Intelligence to spend some time with my nephew here," Kaji said indicating a quite dumbstruck Kensuke with his thumb. Misato snorted.

"Yeah right, as if I'd believe a story like that! You're probably just here to pick up some new bed-mate" The scruffy man gave her a hurt look.

"Now, now Katsuragi, would I lie to you?"

"You mean beside the million times you've done that already?" Misato retorted snidely.

"Seems like they know each other…" Shinji remarked delicately as he and his two friends, as well as everyone passing by, watched the two grown-ups argue, though it was kid of a one sided argument since while Misato threw a tantrum, Kaji just complimented her on how sexy she was when she got angry.

"Gee, ya think?" Touji responded and heaved a sigh. Then, in a similar fashion to Kaji a few moments earlier, something caught Touji's eye.

"Hey Shin-man, why don'tcha introduce us to your three girlfriends?" he asked and eyed Hikari, Asuka and Rei appreciatingly, while Kensuke nodded fervently saying 'yes, yes' over and over.

"They're not my…" Shinji tried to say but was nevertheless dragged between Kensuke and Touji towards the three girls.

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Up on the high balconies of the Imperial Palace the Emperor himself, along with the imposing Darth Vader as well as the senior Moffs, were watching the long rows of parading storm troopers, small as ants at this distance, march across the broad boulevard far below the monumental palace in impossibly straight lines, shoulder to shoulder and in perfect tact to the tunes of the Imperial march which was blasted out by huge speakers.

"Very impressive, Tarkin" Palpatine complimented with a grim smile of satisfaction "this display really brings out the true power of our Imperial Navy."

"Thank you, your Majesty is all too kind." Tarkin said with a bow of feigned bashfulness "I have planned the choreography all by myself for nearly three months."

'_More likely you had someone else do it…'_ Vader noted snidely. During the fifteen years since the Moff caste had been formed, the dark Lord had neverseen _anyone_ from said class do any _real _work. They would just sit on their uniformed arses all day, having others do their dirty work for them, or occasionally strut around their extravagant palaces and look important.

"Hmmm," the Emperor suddenly said, looking thoughtful "Don't you think it would be even better with some lyrics to this tune? You know, something along the lines of 'Oh Empire' or 'Thou glorious Palpatine'?" The Moffs exchanged glances.

"Er… yes your Majesty" Tarkin finally said "We'll have someone get right to it." The Emperor cackled evilly.

"Excellent… everything proceeds exactly as I have foreseen…"

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"You bitch, I'm gonna pull your hair out!"

"Bring it on gundark-boy!"

Shinji stared in horrified fascination as Touji and Asuka were furiously getting at each others' throats. The two teens were fortunately held at bay by their respective friends, Kensuke and Hikari, but they could still throw curses and obscenities at each other. Actually, the cobalt eyed boy was quite impressed at how getting off on a bad foot a bit in could end up getting violent so _fast_.

Touji had gone straight for the red-head as soon as he had gotten his eyes on her, and actually thought he'd be able to manage what precious few males in the entire history of the universe had accomplished; get a girl's attention with a bad pick-up line.

"Congratulations!" Touji had greeted "You've been voted 'Most Beautiful Girl at Imperial Day' and the grand prize is a day with me!" To Shinji's utter amazement, this hadn't directly earned his friend a fist in his face.

"Really? Tell me about it" Asuka had said, at first looking genuinely flattered, and taking this as a sign of approval Touji continued to hoard cheesy compliments over her.

"…Thy eyes are like deep ponds, reflecting the light of the moon, and this armour looks really awesome too…!" However, in that last comment, Touji made a huge and fatal mistake, at least considering interaction with Soryu Asuka Langley. While the jock was speaking he looked over the girl's armour, or as the Mandalorian herself perceived it, her armour's well-rounded chest plating…

"Pervert!" the red-armoured girl yelled furiously, sending her gloved palm flying straight at Touji's chin.

"Ouch! Hey what was that for!?" the brown-haired boy exclaimed angrily, rubbing his stinging cheek.

"Shut up, gundark-boy!" Asuka retorted, punctuating the sentence with another blow "I saw you; you were staring at my _breasts_!"

"I did _not_!" Touji countered with indignation.

"Were too, you scruffy nerf-herder!" barked Asuka as she continued her accusation, giving away a well-aimed blow this time.

Touji, finally snapping under the verbal as well as physical abuse, countered with a string of curse words and a serious attempt to return the punch given him by the firebrand who was now giving him a cocky grin. Due to Asuka's battle reflexes however, the girl easily avoided his clumsy attack. Yet as the two got into a battle stance, Asuka's pigtailed comrade as well as Touji's bespectacled one swiftly took action and with great difficulty restrained their respective friend.

As things looked now, if either Kensuke or Hikari gave way just an inch, their infuriated friends would quickly pull themselves free and attack their newfound adversary. Shinji pulled his gaze from the two teens, still throwing profanities between them with what seemed like limitless energy, and looked at the blue haired girl who was standing beside him, looking at the energetic word fight with mild interest.

"Um… they don't seem to get along very well, do they?" the boy said casually. Rei gave a small nod.

"It would appear so" she said simply.

'_They wouldn't notice if we walk away for just a little while, would they?'_ Shinji mused as he nervously eyed the red eyed girl.

"This can probably take a while" he said out loud, starting to fidget slightly at what he was going to ask next.

"Yes" the quiet girl answered monotonously. The young boy's mouth started to run dry as he prepared himself for his final question.

'_Come on now Ikari, be a man and ask her!'_ the young pilot pepped himself. He took a deep breath.

"H-hey, Ayanami," he stammered "you wouldn't… um, l-like t-to go someplace else?" _'Well, that was better than nothing, right?' _Rei blinked once and then redirected her ruby eyes to stare intently at the boy, her chest tightening and her head starting to buzz with questions and inner turmoil, though her cool exterior revealed none of her confusion.

'_Why… why would he ask me this? Why do his words make me feel so… odd?'_ she silently wondered, fixing Shinji's blue eyes with her red ones in a futile attempt to understand not just the words of the nervous boy standing in front of her, but her own rebellious soul as well. In fact, she was now starting to experience a milder variant of the… episode, which had taken place during her meditation last night.

'_I do not understand…'_ she thought almost desperately as opposing forces once again began to rage within her, her life-long training doing battle with the secretive force which increasingly had begun to influence her decisions. _'Yet, perhaps…'_ Rei's inner musing tediously went on, and only with much difficulty was she starting to near a conclusion, while Shinji sweated bullets.

'_W-was that wrong to ask of her? D-did she get angry?'_ the boy thought in distress, stuttering even in his mind, as Rei continued to stare wordlessly at him with a somewhat ponderous gaze.

'_If I comply with his request,'_ her silent monologue proceeded while the inner struggle started to settle down into a frail truce _'maybe I can discover why he… causes me to react in this way.'_ Finally satisfied with her reasoning, Rei opened her mouth at the same time as Shinji did.

"Sorry…"

"Yes." Shinji blinked.

"Come again?" he said, not fully able to believe that the word he had just heard had come from the cerulean haired girl before him.

"I will go with you to…'someplace else'" Rei elaborated and Shinji's heart skipped a beat.

"Y-you would?" the meek boy asked incredulously.

"Yes" the azure haired beauty repeated, and to her surprise felt a faint heating of her cheeks as she saw her co-pilot's face lit up like a star. She was even more unprepared for being grabbed by her wrist by a smiling Shinji and energetically led of through the crowd. Yet after the initial shock, Rei soon found that it made her feel rather… warm, inside.

'_I… do not dislike this…it feels…nice…'_

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Back at the site of Asuka's and Touji's little 'run in'; the former had finally managed to slip away from Hikari's grip. Since it was Hikari, the Mandalorian had for once refrained from using violence, though this self control did not reach further than just that. Thus, seconds after, Touji lay on the ground in a foetal position, both hands trying without much success to ease the crushing pain in his groin. Since his hands were occupied in this way, the jock was unable to hinder the flow of blood which poured out of his broken nose onto the ground. Asuka eyed the fallen boy victoriously.

"That should teach you" she said disdainfully and flipped her hair, spinning around and taking a hold of a stunned Hikari by the freckled girl's shoulder. "Come on Hikari," the red head implored "let's get done with our shopping so we can ditch these _hut'uune_ already. I'll get sick if I have to stay on the same planet as that," she indicated the suffering Touji with a backwards thumb "…for even a second longer than necessary."

"But, Asuka," Hikari said throwing worried glances over to the jock who was now receiving much needed aid from his bespectacled friend "we… we can't just _leave _him like that!" Of course, this had not been the first time Hikari had seen her companion beat someone up, but it was the first time she'd been so violent, and after so little actual provoking.

Asuka didn't respond however, but just shrugged and then strode of with rapid yet prideful steps, not even caring to look back to see if her friend was following or not. Hikari stood in indecisiveness for a moment before she went to help Kensuke with Touji.

'_She can fend for herself after all…'_

Standing some way away, Asuka glanced over her shoulder at the retreating back of her friend. For a second the thought of going back and apologise crossed her mind, but she ignored it, and disappeared into the crowd.

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"H-here you go, Ayanami." Shinji anxiously held out to the ruby eyed girl the parcel of sweets he had bought. It was a rather small box in white, grey and black colours and sealed with a white ribbon. Rei cocked her head to the side in puzzlement but accepted the gift nonetheless.

"What is it?" she asked as she undid the knot on the string and opened the small container, taking a peak at what it contained.

"They're called Cardellian mints," the chocolate haired boy explained with slightly more confidence as Rei lifted up one of the thumbnail-sized bonbons and studied it with interest "I thought you might like them."

"Are they some kind of aromatic spice?" the azure haired girl inquired, she had found that the small confectionary was giving away a rather pleasant scent of exotic fruits. Shinji gave her an odd look when he realised she wasn't joking.

"Hold on a sec, you mean you've never eaten candy before?" Rei returned her companion's curios glance with one of her own.

"No."

"Why's that?" Shinji asked, even forgetting to be nervous as he found that he might get to know something about the mysterious girl's past. Rei appeared to ponder the question for a minute before replying, though not precisely in the way the cobalt eyed boy had hoped.

"Do these provide any special nutrients?" she deadpanned, lightly rolling the candy between her fingers.

"Um, no I don't think so…" Shinji answered somewhat uncertainly. The red eyed girl nodded.

"I see," she said "my Master has only directed me to consume such foods as will sustain my body with necessary components." The brown haired boy lowered his head a bit in defeat.

"Oh," he said sadly "um, sorry…"

Normally, Rei reckoned at this point she would have discarded the sweets into the nearest trash-container. However, instead she found herself putting the bonbon between her fingers into her mouth. Now, the Cardellian mints are not that strongly flavoured, however, for one that had only eaten virtually tasteless food all her life, the ensuing sensation was quite a shocking experience to Rei. However, the initial fruity discharge in her mouth soon gave way to a more pleasant freshness as her taste buds became accustomed to it. Meanwhile, Shinji stood expectantly by and watched.

"W-well?" he asked timidly "Was it good?" Rei, still in the midst of trying to cope with the experience, just nodded. Shinji smiled.

"See, I told you so." Rei nodded again.

"Yes…" she said and then looked down into the box "May I have another?" she asked. Shinji smiled even wider.

"Of course you can! They're yours after all…" Rei plopped another bonbon in her mouth, taking a few moments to enjoy the taste, then sealed the parcel with its string and pocketed it in her uniform.

'_I will save them for later'_ she thought as she and the cobalt eyed boy started walking down the avenue, to a district which was mostly dedicated to different displays. Electrostaff jugglers, the Amazing Xinthos and his Dansing Kushibans, and of course the coal-dancing MonCals where all represented here.

They went on for quite a while, mostly just watching and only having sparse conversation, as Rei was content with walking in silence, and Shinji couldn't come up with something to say. However, even with the lack of communication, the young pilot found that he greatly enjoyed this… well 'date' for a lack of any better word, though the mere thought made him blush furiously.

When Shinji suddenly shifted to roughly the shade of his sabre, Rei stopped and studied his face quizzically. Shinji stopped as well, though he looked more like a nerf caught in the headlight.

"Ikari-kun, are you unwell?" Rei asked clinically "your face is red and you appear to experience laboured breathing." Then without warning, Rei placed her hand on the boy's face, more precisely his forehead, as she attempted to check on his temperature, but the only thing the nervous pilot could register was that _she_ was_ touching_ him.

"A-aya…nami…" he stuttered.

'_This is odd…'_ Rei thought, though she had to admit that this had become a rather regular observational comment as of late, _'I enjoy the feel of his skin against my hand…why?'_ As she mused thusly, her hand now started to roam absentmindedly over the boy's face, tracing down from his forehead to his check and jaw line. Shinji was only a few hyperventilated breaths from fainting at the caress, but was 'saved' in the last minute.

"Out of my way!" shouted a red flash which canon-balled between the two imperials, pushing them forcefully to the side as it made its way. Barely had Shinji and Rei comprehended what had happened, when three additional red flashes passed them by, though far more quietly than their prey had. Shinji, who had managed to recover both from the interruption and the previous awkward moment, blinked a few times as his brain was trying to catch up.

"Was that…Asuka?"

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While walking around aimlessly among shops and shoppers on the streets of Coruscant, not trying to think about the argument with Hikari (she didn't care spit for her fight with 'gundark-boy'), suddenly in one stand she saw something that lifted her spirits. A finely crafted vibro-blade of N'gai craftsmanship, designed not just to make killing swift, but quite painful as well. Asuka felt her hand twitch. A nanosecond later she held the beautiful knife in her hand. Unfortunately, the shopkeeper had very keen eyes, and a loud voice.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?!" he barked as the kleptomaniac girl started to make her way away from the shop. "You thieving bitch, get back here!" the shopkeeper roared, attracting the attention of three crimson armoured Coruscant guards, the city planet's elite police force. As soon as she saw the three men approach her at marching speed and bringing out their weapons, Asuka thought it best to leave the scene and darted off. The silent guards immediately started running as well, matching the girls speed with ease.

'_Heh, they really take shoplifting seriously here doesn't they?'_ Asuka thought while rounding a corner, pushing a few innocent bystanders away and attempting to loose her pursuers in the crowd. This had always been her standard escape technique when on populated worlds since while Asuka was quite fond of getting into fights, she wasn't stupid enough to have a brawl when outnumbered. However, today the tactic did not seem to be very effective.

"Damn, these _chakaare_ are persistent" the armoured girl growled to herself as she took a peek over her shoulder and found the red armoured guards gaining on her. She let out a string of Mandalorian curse words and quickened her pace, trying to come up with some kind of plan. Being completely caught up in this, the red haired girl failed to recognise that two of the people she ran past, or rather through, were her two imperial 'friends' Rei and Shinji. Not until she had run a few hundred metres did this fact appear to her.

'_What were those two doing there all by themselves?' _she absently wondered, but found that she had more urgent matters to attend to as she almost run straight into another pair of the crimson Coruscant guards.

"Hey you, come back here!" one out of the pair called out as the girl swiftly took of again.

'_As if…'_ Asuka mentally answered and then cursed her bad luck. '_This really isn't my day…'_ she thought irritably _'first I make Hikari get angry with me, and now I can't even run away from some second rate coppers!'_

Even though she called them second rate, Asuka was however forced to admit that the now five guards chasing after her _were_ pretty good, and she deeply regretted to not have 'acquired' that jetpack earlier. Now, the only thing she could do was run till she could come up with a plan, or till her air ran out and the guards caught her. She silently vowed not to let the later happen without serious and bloody combat.

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"…And what about the time you slept with that Iceheart-woman, that was an 'accident' as well?" Misato loudly accused, as she had been doing for the past forty minutes.

"Ok, _that_ was just a career thing!" Kaji said defensively "and I only did it for a couple of weeks…"

"Really, what happened?" Misato sneered "found out what a bitch she is?" Misato had at a few times in the past worked together with Ysanne 'Iceheart' Isard, currently the Commander of Imperial Intelligence, and had found the slightly older woman to be anything but sufferable.

"Actually… she left me" Kaji said with a sheepish grin. This actually surprised the purple haired captain quite a bit, even causing her to temporarily forget some of her anger with the former lover, though she was still very miffed.

"Since when do women leave _you_?" she asked incredulously "You're always the one to chicken out first."

"Ouch, that hurt Babe" the scruffy man said and faked a zinged look "actually, someone else caught Ysanna's interest."

"Namely…?"

"His Majesty, in fact" Kaji said bluntly. Misato's jaw hit the ground.

"B-b-but he's _ancient_!" she called out "How could anyone want to…" she stopped herself just in time to prevent some quite disturbing images concerning Iceheart and the Emperor to enter her mind.

"Same reason that I went out with Ysanne, though in her case it might have been taking it a step too far," Kaji answered with a shrug, and apparently being serious for once "the Empire revolves around power, and everyone wants to get as big a piece as possible of the cake."

"That's just plain sick and wrong…"

"But not as uncommon as one would hope" the scruffy man said sagely, and then reverted back to his happy-go-lucky mode "But I actually feel kinda proud to be left for the _Emperor_ himself… must mean I'm really good at what I do…" Misato gave her former lover a disgusted look, but before she could comment, a loud crash was heard nearby, followed by a great commotion as people began shouting.

"My shop! It's completely trashed!"

"Look out, she's armed!"

"Stand aside, citizens, the Guard is here!"

"Don't you dare get anywhere near me, you bastards!" The last voice sounded alarmingly familiar to Misato.

"Don't tell me she…" the captain said as she elbowed her way through the crowd with Kaji in tow.

As they emerged on the other side of the huge mass of bystanders which had already formed, Misato's fears were proven right when she saw Asuka standing on the rubble which was what remained of a bombed stand and pointing her silvery WESTAR-34 at the Coruscant Guards which were now approaching. However, the feral girl did not get a chance to shot any of the approaching officers, as the crimson soldiers decided to throw a pair of stun-grenades at her instead. Two small explosions followed, emitting smoke and electric discharges which knocked the red haired girl unconscious and caused her to fall haplessly to the ground.

"Asuka!" Misato called out in alarm and glared at the still deathly quiet Guards. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" she raged accusingly and then started running towards the fallen girl but was stopped by one of the red officers, judging by his insignia most likely the leader of the squad.

"Please stay back, ma'am" he said firmly with one hand raised to block her passage "We've got everything under control…"

"My ass you've got control!" Misato raged, infuriated both with the Mandalorion girl as she had most likely been the one starting this whole circus, as well as the crimson clad Guards who were now proceeding with securing their unconscious captive with stun-cuffs.

"Ma'am I assure you…" the Guard began while discretely activating his taser stave, an electromagnetic weapon normally used for 'riot control'. The captain however, easily detected what the Guard intended and swiftly brought out her own blaster pistol.

"Look here pal," she growled while pointing the weapon at the red armoured man's midsection "I'm a captain in the goddamn _501st Legion_! That's right; I'm a part of Vader's Fist! Now I _order_ you to hand over that girl, and I _might_ decide not to make life difficult for you and your team. Have I made myself clear, soldier?" The Guard as well as his companions, not to mention the whole crowd, was completely stunned by the purple haired woman's words. He quickly found himself though and gave a neat salute.

"It will be done, Ma'am!"

"That's Captain Katsuragi to you, pal." Misato corrected.

"Sorry Ma'-, err… I mean Captain." The Guard saluted again before going back to the rest of his squad and the unconscious girl. Misato turned around to a still awe-struck Kaji. Just like the Guard however, the scruffy man soon regained his composure, seeing as he _was _an Imperial intelligence agent, and flashed a grin.

"501st Legion, huh?" he said, clearly impressed "how'd you manage that? Don't tell me you…"

"Most certainly _not_!" Misato cut off "if you need to know, I saved quite a few of their arses during the Resalian Purge, so they made me an honorary member." Kaji arched an eyebrow.

"So… doesn't that mean you lied to them?" he said delicately, with a sideward nod indicating the Guards, well out of earshot and still occupied with taking care of Asuka, presently lifting her onto a makeshift bier.

"Only partially" Misato admitted. She then cast a glance at the still unconscious Mandalorioan and shook her head miserably.

"Oh boy, this is going to result in a _mountain _of paperwork…" she whined and rubbed her temples with one hand "I'm sooo going to need a drink later…"

"Care to let me join you?" Kaji asked innocently and earned a scowl from the purple haired woman.

"Normally I wouldn't," she began, but then allowed her face softened just a little "but I think I'll make an exception just for tonight."

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Rei entered her dark apartment, which could be considered 'dark' in more ways than one. The walls, floor and roof were all constructed from black durasteel, and only one small lamp that stood on a low, oddly twisted table and shone with a faint blue glow provided illumination, though it actually just accomplished in making the darkness feel even deeper. The girl walked up to the table, one of her few possessions, and gently placed a small parcel on top of it, next to a holobook and a beaker with foul opalescent liquid.

Outside the sun was starting to set over this part of Coruscant, however this was not observed by the enigmatic girl as her apartment had not one window, and most likely she wouldn't have cared much for watching the sun set even if there had been any. She placed her hand softly upon the small parcel for a while before retracting it and without a word walking towards the shower, shedding her clothes as she went. Now entirely nude, she entered the small shower cabin and soon a beam of cold water was cleansing her body.

A daily ritual for the girl had always been to go through the events of the day as she took her bedtime wash and today was no exception, though the recollection was in fact quite unusual. She had been out on Imperial Day, possibly for the first time of her life, she couldn't remember if her Master had ever taken her, though she doubted it, and she had eaten 'candy', also a first, and she had walked with Ikari-kun for several hours. At this point the alizarin eyed girl furrowed her brow slightly.

The 'butting in' by one Asuka Langley as Rei had been exploring Shinji's features however, had made the blue haired girl rather… enervated. And it had not been without some satisfaction that Rei had later seen a then unconscious Asuka being taken away into GEHIRN custody. On the downside this had also marked the end of the day, as Misato had ordered the two teens to return to their homes at once, even providing separate transports. They were also to report to GEHIRN the first thing the morning after, as it was then Asuka's interrogation was to take place.

Rei stepped out of the shower and reached for her towel, beginning with drying her hair and then proceeding downwards. When sufficiently dry, the girl went straight for her low bed, not bothering with changing into some sleeping wear as she had never understood the point of such things. As she crawled between the thin dark blue sheets and closed her eyes, the girl found that her last thoughts before falling asleep, was that she looked forward to seeing Shinji at tomorrows meeting.

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TIE-fighters howled through the darkening sky, letting off huge bursts of colourful fireworks all around, to the delight of everyone standing either on the wide plazas or on their own balconies. It was still Imperial Day, though rather it could be called Imperial Night, and people was still fast celebrating, though celebration was now largely concentrated to the local bars, and as a point of interest, two old friends, a scruffy man in a brown uniform and a purple haired woman in a casual black uniform, were currently entering one such bar for 'old time's sake'.

All of this was however of completely no concern to the pilot of the Theta class transport shuttle that now swooped through the night. It navigated stealthily between the many towering buildings of the city-planet until it reached a vast steel covered plain with great boulevards doted by pyramidal structures leading up to an intimidating construction as huge as the tallest mountain, The Imperial Palace. Towards this monumental structure, home of the most powerful man in the Galaxy, the small craft now flew.

Among the myriad of spires and terraces it found a small landing platform where it decided to land. Once the Theta shuttle had taken ground, its entrance hatch hissed open and a small procession came down the ramp. First two pairs of black armoured elite storm troopers walked down, followed by a strange hovering bier with its obscure load enclosed in misty and oddly glowing transparisteel. After the bier another two pairs of the elite troopers marched, safeguarding the rear.

The procession swiftly walked across the platform towards the enforced double doors, halting for a few seconds before said doors when one trooper gave the identification code to let them in. As soon as the doors hissed open, the dark party continued their track into the monumental structure, and the doors once again hissed shut behind them.

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_To be continued…_

AN: Now, before anything else, it should be said that this chapter was mostly just plot-building; there'll be more action in the next one. I also took the liberty to make it more light hearted, though with some dark hints. By the way, did you know that 'Augie's municipal band' is in fact an up-beat version of 'Emperor's theme', sung by a children's choir, is that creepy or what? Additionally, one episode was a little too silly, and is instead included below as an omake.

OMAKE

_(The balcony scene, just slightly modified)_

"Very impressive, Tarkin" Palpatine complimented with a grim smile of satisfaction "this display really brings out the power of our Imperial Navy."

"Thank you, your Majesty is all too kind." Tarkin said with a feigned bashful bow "I have planned the choreography all by my self for nearly three months."

"By the way," the Emperor said ponderously "how did you get them to march so well in tact with each other, some new training program perhaps?"

"Actually, we just glued their shoulder plates together…" Tarkin explained.

"Ah, very inventive, Tarkin," Palpatine said approvingly "very inventive indeed…" This was followed by a few more minutes of silence as the group continued to watch the procession of troopers, which now also had received company by some TIE-fighters of various models and a few star destroyers, all still going to the tune of the March.

"Hmmm," the Emperor suddenly said, looking thoughtful "Don't you think it would be even better with some lyrics to this tune? You know, something along the lines of 'My little Pony, my little Pony…' or 'I like the mountains, I like the daffodils…' what would you say about that?" The Moffs exchanged glances and Vader quietly pressed the hidden 'sweat drop' button on his armour, causing a bead of water to form on the back of his helmet.

"Er… yes your Majesty" Tarkin finally said "We'll have someone get right to it." The Emperor cackled evilly.

"Excellent… everything proceeds exactly as I have foreseen…"

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Now for some answers to reviews:

To Konous: I believe you can use 'answered' in the same way as 'said'(though I still changed the words for the sake of better readability), likewise with 'finished' (I didn't change this). However, I _did_ in fact weep when I first read your review. And nope, Obi won't train Shin-man (though it crossed my mind).

To Alucard: (claps hands together) Thy wish be done! That was a nice suggestion, though it'll probably not end up the way you expect…

To Wesley: Hope I gave you a good enough answer there at the beginning concerning Iblis' staged death. My Rei is mostly based on manga-Rei, because I find her easier to work with, for the same reason that you listed. About training; you'll get your answer in the next chapter (probably). The cast will encounter some familiar faces in the future, that's for sure, but where and when is not decided.

As much as I'd love a good long discussion on morals and ethics, this is not the place (though if you feel up to it, don't hesitate to mail me), but I still hold my theory that evil does not exist per se; even though 'evil' people know what they do is 'wrong', they most often have an ultimate goal that in their mind can excuses any atrocity, and those crimes are then considered 'good'.

Yes I heard about the four new Eva movies, as well as the three live action ones by Hollywood (though I have my doubts about these ones), though not about any new character, just that Kaworu was going to be given a bigger part.

To Gunman: The thing about Misto being 'tricked' to kiss someone… I like it! I will try to incorporate it somewhere, I tried to do it here, but it wouldn't work. The thing about Asuka's hair, just wait 'til next chap, you're gonna like it. Rei not using mind trick is… well, she doesn't know much about other people, does she? Maybe she just can't do such things. And yes, Obi knows.

To the rest of you: Thanks again for the reviews!

May the force be with you, and have a Merry Christmas!

Ausir.


	9. Chapter 8

Yes, I finally made it! Through homework, sickness and relatives I prevailed and now present to you the long overdue chapter eight! BTW, I've made a change in the Touji/Asuka run in last chapter, which on a subtle level changed the whole thing. If you're too lazy to read it, it's basically just that Asuka blows the roof when she thinks Touji has been ogling her chest. Much more in character for both f them if you ask me…

(The Eva/Star Wars jukebox plays _Across the Stars_)

_**Fly Me to the Stars**_

_A Star Wars/Evangelion x-over by Ausir_

_Chapter 8_

"Miss Soryu," Misato began quite formally, looking sternly at the proud red-head.

They were gathered inside one of the interrogation rooms at the GEHIRN complex. Actually, the word 'hearing room' would probably be more appropriate, since they weren't planning on doing any _real _interrogation. The purple haired captain sat along with Ritsuko on an elevated black podium. Before them stood Asuka, who was restrained by stun-cuffs to keep her in check. Lining the walls were some ten stormtroopers, there to keep close guard on the unpredictable Mandalorian. Also, Shinji and Rei, both in their form-fitting piloting uniforms, stood by the podium, the former looking quite confused as to what was happening.

"Y'know, I'm quite impressed with all the crimes you committed on just one afternoon," the purple-haired captain continued as she started to read from an electro-notepad "harassment, assault, vandalism, assault on civil servants…" She looked up from her pad and at the red-head. "These are all serious offences," she said grimly "and in normal circumstances we would have sent you straight for the spice mines on Kessel…"

"WHAT!?" Asuka called out in alarm, her cocky stance swept away in an instance.

"Calm down, Asuka" Misato said from the podium in a soothing manner "we would actually prefer that you don't end your days as a slave-miner, so we have a little proposition for you." The Mandalorian girl didn't answer.

"Good to see that you have some kind of self-control" Ritsuko said snidely. "Now, we know that despite your great amount of personal flaws, anti-social behaviour and kleptomania for example, you _do_ in fact have some quite impressive combat skills. That is why we would like you to consider the possibility of 'repaying your debt to the state' through military service…"

'_Eh? She's getting into the military?'_ Shinji thought with a confused blink. If he had looked at Rei just then, he would have seen her eye twitch slightly.

"Do I look like some kind of lowly goon to you!?" Asuka asked with offence in her voice. The female doctor gave a patronizing smile.

"I do believe Mandalorians were in fact the very archetype of hired muscles, wouldn't you agree?" she said gleefully "But no, you won't be a mercenary, since you won't get paid, or receive any other privileges. Neither will you be able to leave Imperial service until we deem you have earned your time."

"That's no choice at all, just another type of slavery!" the red-head yelled.

"True," Ritsuko conceded "though I do believe that you would find living on a star destroyer more comfortable than in a cell with twenty others, or fighting off energy-spiders with your bare hands..."

"I don't care, I can take care of myself, and I _won't _be you bastards' personal battle-droid!"

"Perhaps," Ritsuko said, her smile having turned almost sadistic "but have you considered what might befall you _friend_ if you were put in the mines of Kessel? The galaxy is not such a safe place for a lone girl…" The scientist let the implications hang in the air. Asuka's eyes shot wide open in a moment of fright, but then narrowed to form threatening slits.

"You… you wouldn't _dare_ hurt Hikari" she hissed almost bestially. Shinji also stared at the blonde with a look of horror.

'_Is she serious?'_ he wondered, while watching the blonde and red-head have a quick and intense staring match.

"I would" Ritsuko said simply. The Mandalorian girl held her gaze for a moment longer, before looking away.

"Fine…" she said simply in almost a whisper.

"That's good" said the blonde. Misato leaned over to whisper in her friend's ear.

"Hey Rits," she said quietly "she seems pretty docile now; maybe we should cut the final number, if you know what I mean?" Ritsuko shook her head.

"No, we must show her who's in charge," she retorted "otherwise she'll just turn against us at any given chance."

"You really think what you have in mind would do that?" Misato asked sceptically "if it was done to _me_ I'd be mad as hell…"

"Trust me Misato, I'm a scientist you know." Misato didn't look entirely convinced but gave after to her friend's words, giving an approving nod. With that the other woman turned to the two pilots.

"Rei."

"Hai?"

"Do it."

"Hai," the girl said with a slight nod and began to walk towards Asuka.

'_Droid-girl?'_ the armoured girl thought, facing the uniformed girl as she silently stepped up behind her and almost ponderously swept away the red-head's legs with one of her own, bringing Asuka to her knees after which Rei grabbed a hold of her thick mane of blazing crimson locks.

'_What is she going to…?'_ the blue eyed Mandalorian wondered as sudden thoughts of burning heat cleaving through her body and lifeless limbs falling haplessly to the ground entered her mind. And her suspicions appeared to be proven correct when she heard the sizzling sound of an activated lightsabre. She began flailing with her head and shouting madly in an attempt to free herself.

"The hell do you think you're doing, droid-bitch! Let me go _shabla aruetii_! Let me go!"

Rei silently considered using the Force to sedate the ravenous girl, but decided against it. It wasn't worth the effort and she was also pretty sure her aim wouldn't fail even with Asuka's thrashing about. On the other hand, she didn't care much if her aim actually_ did_ fail and she cut through something else, say, a neck or something similarly important for a human's vital functions. It would be so easy too, just lowering her angle a fraction and instead of the Mandalorian's crimson locks, her sabre would pass through soft flesh. Lord Sidious would have approved, it was after all part of his teachings to dispose of any… undesired presences. Rei's eyes began to glow faintly, unnoticeably in the strong surrounding lighting, and she tugged just a little bit more in the other girl's hair, which made Asuka whimper reluctantly.

'_Ayanami!'_ Rei blinked, the voice had been Shinji's. She gazed carefully at her fellow pilot, who beside his looks of confusion and horror, now also appeared quite sad. Rei hesitated as her mind started to reflect upon this.

'_He… does not want me to hurt Soryu?' _the girl mused _'Why is this? She has not shown him any kindness since they met… but he is still saddened that I might injure her?'_ Rei felt a sudden pang of… something, a most unpleasant feeling that was like burning ice filling up her stomach. She wanted to strike down the red-head just there and then, yet, another glance at Shinji's sad eyes stilled her blade.

'_You always confuse me with these… experiences, Ikari-kun'_ she thought with a sigh and then let her blade fall in a clean swipe. Seconds later, Rei was holding a great tuff of Asuka's hair in her left hand, while the Mandalorian fumbled at her scalp with her cuffed hands.

"My… my hair…" she whispered, her anger momentarily replaced by shock before reverting "you cut my hair you fucking bitch!"

In fury and humiliation Asuka raised hell, flying at Rei with her cuffed hands ready to punch the blue-head into a bloody pulp. It would require all ten of the stationed troopers to keep the enraged red-head from heavily assaulting the nonplussed imperial. Misato nudged Ritsuko in the side.

"Told'ya she'd get mad."

"Okay, so I'm not _always_ right…" the blonde said with a sigh.

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_Open your eyes…_

He felt the command, and slowly obeyed, lazily letting his lids unveil the red orbs below them. The boy floated in his spaarti-cylinder, his grey hair bobbing in the greenish liquid. He gazed somewhat uninterested at his surroundings, finding them dull and boring, just colourless walls and crude machines scattered this room.

Suddenly he felt a prying mind that stalked at the borders of his own, demanding access. The crimson eyed youth smiled in amusement, this was a fun game. He smiled even wider as he blocked the foreign entity's intrusion and felt the invader's frustration. It went on for some time, but eventually the feeling passed, and the teen was alone once more, both physically and spiritually.

He found he didn't mind that much.

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"Lord Vader, why do you disturb me?" asked the Emperor, an unusual amount of annoyance evident in his voice. The black armoured cyborg kneeled before his master.

"I have come to ask a favour, Master" the dark Lord said, getting straight to the point. The Emperor quirked a naked eyebrow in curiosity, Vader would rarely ask for anything, in fact Palpatine had a hard time remembering even one single occasion he had done so.

"What sort of favour would that be?" the old man asked ominously.

"I would wish to take on the task of personally training pilots Ikari and Ayanami, Master" Vader responded, his eyes still fixed on the ground "I have felt great potential within them both, and I believe that with proper training, they would become a most valuable asset to us." The hooded tyrant leaned slightly forward.

"Could not any of the Prophets take on this task?" he asked.

"Their abilities clearly surpass that of a meagre Hand or Eye, Master," Vader explained "their schooling should match that capacity."

Palpatine leaned back into his black throne and considered the small speech for well over a minute before responding. He didn't mind much actually, the Ikari boy was far too weak to be of any use, or threat, to him. And the girl was just another failed experiment. If it amused his apprentice to waste his time with them, so be it.

"Very well then, I will grant your request, my friend," the dark autocrat proclaimed "as of today, Ikari Shinji and Ayanami Rei will be put under your guidance." Vader bowed his head.

Suddenly, a small red light flashed on the command panel of the Emperor's throne. Palpatine pressed a button, after which the hologram of a clearly nervous, middle aged man sporting the elaborate white uniform of a Grand Admiral appeared by the aged ruler's side. Vader recognised the sweating man with some difficulty, recalling that he had only had the displeasure of meeting Mario Batch one or two times prior.

"Ah, the Invisible Admiral" Palpatine said, shifting his seat slightly to give the high-ranking officer his full attention. Batch gulped audibly.

"Y-your Highness," he began, failing miserably in his attempt to keep his cool "I h-have a report regarding the Phantom project."

"By all means then, Admiral, report." Batch swallowed again.

"Well, it appears, your Highness, that the project has suffered a major setback" the misfortuned Admiral said, and, seeing the Emperor's expression, reaching for a handkerchief to pad his soaked forehead with. Palpatine was _not_ amused.

"My… my research station was ambushed and infiltrated by a fleet of Nar Shadda pirates a few hours ago" Batch continued, his words coming out in a rapid stream mixed up with stuttering and the occasional wiping of his face "They d-destroyed the star destroyers, all four of them… a-and then, they b-boarded the station itself and s-stole the plans for the Phantom as w-well as the f-fifty prototype units already manufactured and… ghack aaaargh!"

The Grand Admiral never got the chance to finish his report, as Palpatine used the Force to strangle the man even across the vastness of space. Once the image of the murdered officer had disappeared, the Emperor turned back to his apprentice.

"It would appear my friend that you and your… students will be enjoying some practical training…"

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"Nar Shadda?" Shinji asked quizzically.

"Yep," said Misato "apparently, some of the Hutts has been sliming about where they shouldn't, raiding one of our research centres, stealing plans and material."

They were currently watching a hologram of a highly urbanised moon, Nar Shadda, which hovered above the circular briefing table. Fuytsuki was also present, sitting between Misato and Ritsuko. Additionally Rei and the now shorthaired Asuka were also present as was the pigtailed Hikari. Shinji had actually been a bit surprised that Hikari was there to, though maybe it was because Asuka secretly wanted her friend's support. After having seen her humiliation in interrogation yesterday, the boy didn't have much doubt that was the case.

"The Emperor is sending the Supreme Commander to recover what was stolen" Fuyutsuki said "and Lord Vader has ordered us to be a part of the strike team, along with his 501sts."

"So what, we're going to invade Hutt space?" Shinji asked. Ritsuko shock her head.

"Sadly no," she said resentfully "the Supreme Commander thinks it would strain our resources too much, what with trying to root out this fledging rebellion and all. We're just going to give those snails something to remember us by, once we reclaim the Phantom project."

"Phantom project?" Shinji asked.

"Our latest fighter prototype" Fuyutsuki explained, helped by Ritsuko who changed the holo-projector so it now displayed what looked like a TIE interceptor but with three wings "It hass got five laser batteries, and is fully equipped with shielding and hyperdrive, but its greatest strength is the ability to make itself completely invisible." Shinji's eyes grew as wide as saucers. Hikari's also gave the fighter a quick study, as did Asuka, who tried her best at hiding her interest.

"Wow…" Shinji said dumbly, staring at the hologram "awesome… and that's what the Hutts stole, right?"

"Correct" said an icy, metallic voice that sent chills down everyone's spines. As one person they turned towards the door and beheld Darth Vader entering the room in the company of a young and rather attractive young woman dressed in a TIE-pilot's uniform but minus the helmet. The two strode inside, heading for the two empty chairs that had been left. As the dark lord passed by Asuka however, he took notice of the special design of her blazing red armour.

"A Mandalorian?" he inquired, stopping g in his tracks to stare at the red-head. Hikari tried to hide behind her friend, but Asuka herself only gave the dark Lord a spunky look.

"Yeah, so what?" she retorted. The girl's disrespect caused Misato and Ritsuko to pale noticeably and Shinji glanced worriedly at the armoured girl. Vader on the other hand, didn't seem to care, but had something else on his mind.

"Have you heard of a man called Boba Fett?" he asked suddenly, his mechanical eyes boring into the Mandalorian girl's skull. Asuka only winced slightly at the name, but quickly made up an air of faked ignorance.

"Can't say I have…" she answered, attempting to sound casual but still with a hidden strain audible in her voice.

"Hm…" said Vader, but didn't press the matter further, continuing to his seat and immediately took full control of the meeting.

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"Man, that was boring as hell!" Asuka exclaimed as she and Hikari made their way through the GEHIRN corridors after the hour long meeting had come to an end "I really hope the fight itself won't be as dull as they made it sound back there!"

"Asuka, are you really sure about this?" Hikari asked nervously "I mean, you've always said freelancing and bounty hunting was below you…" The blue eyed girl flinched unnoticeably, but for an instance Hikari thought she saw… sadness, in the sapphire orbs. The very uncharacteristic expression disappeared as soon as it had arrived however, being replaced by a cocky smirk.

"Well… you know what they say, you should never be afraid to change your mind about something…"

'_What's wrong with her?' _The pigtailed girl thought and gave her friend a suspicious look _'She's been acting all weird since yesterday … what on earth could've happened?'_

While Hikari brooded and fretted over her friend, Asuka also mused silently, though more on the few interesting revelations that had been made during the meeting. For one, that commander-guy had in the middle of everything announced that the droid-girl and wuss were supposed to be his new 'apprentices'. The proud Mandalorian couldn't help but snicker at the insane thought.

'_Yeah, fucking good luck!' _she mocked silently_ 'I guess he'd only have to install some more programs in bluey, but the di'kut could never be anything but a monkey wrench to anyone!'_ However, thoughts about this fact only took up very little of her contemplations, of far greater interest and mystery to the red-haired warrior was the small and seemingly pointless question the black cyborg had asked her just before the meting had started.

'_Why the hell did he ask about Boba?_' she asked herself, before letting out a small humph _'probably just wanna get the bastard for sticking his wise-ass nose where it didn't belong…'_ Still, even though she disliked the egoistic bounty hunter, she couldn't help but reviewing some rather fond memories of when they'd been going around the galaxy together…

'_Asuka, stop that!'_ she promptly ordered herself _'that was a long time ago, I don't like that guy AT ALL!'_

However, she continued her brooding, as did her pigtailed friend. The two girls, engulfed in their own separate lines of thought, continued in silence towards GEHIRN's hangar level, where the _Kyoko Zeppelin_ had been brought. They were just going to have a meal and then have a good night's sleep. The take off for Nar Shadda was due to first thing in the morning after, so they'd probably need what little opportunity to relax they were given.

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"Use your aggression; come at me with the intent to kill!" Vader instructed.

"Y-yes… Master…" Shinji panted.

"Affirmative, Lord Vader" said Rei, who had some more control over her breathing. With that, the teens charged their instructor again.

The new training program that Vader had presented was roughly the double of what Ritsuko and Misato had used to force them through. It contained roughly ten hours of combat and Force training that was spent in one of the _Ramiel's_ many training rooms, three more of piloting sessions in the hangar, and one hour for meals and meditation, leaving about ten hours of well needed sleep. This schedule had been enforced two and a half days prior, as soon as the assault fleet had left Coruscant. Needless to say, the training was taking quite a toll on the two teens.

Shinji reached the cyborg first and with his blood red sabre held in both hands over his head aimed for a head-to-feet cut, putting as much force behind the attack a s possible. Yet the far more experienced Darth Vader easily blocked the clumsy advance with his own sabre, then continued by pressing the boy into retreat by repeatedly striking powerful blows with his blade which Shinji had a hard time fending off. Without warning, Rei appeared from behind the dark Lord, neither Shinji nor Vader having noticed her approach, and aimed for a slash at cyborg's armoured back.

But Vader was not one to be easily caught off guard, and as soon as he had distinguished the threat, heavily spun around and caught Rei's attack with a reverse twist of his own flaming blade. He may have lost most of his agility through the duel with his mentor years ago, but he still retained some of his past fencing capacities. And fending off two rookies was almost too easy, even if they were double-timing him.

Now, Shinji copied Rei's previous move, attacking his new Master from behind, but aiming for the armoured legs instead. Vader avoided this strike also, though to Shinji's credit it should be mentioned that he actually grazed one of the Sith's legs, leaving a shallow scar in the black metal. The Supreme Commander voiced a discordant grunt, but did not retaliate at the boy, as he found that his other apprentice was far more _annoying_ in her swift, almost fleeting attacks and nearly impossibly flexible moves. The boy on the other hand, seemed to rely more on what physical strength he possessed as he made his attacks.

'_Ataru and Djem So'_ he noted _'the two styles I once used myself… now this body barely allows me the latter…'_ The dark Lord's mood darkened somewhat as ill memories surfaced, mixed up with hidden envy for his young pupils. He decided to intensify the teens' training a little.

Suddenly, Shinji found himself floating in the air, lifted by his master's will while the cyborg continued to duel with Rei. The boy flailed with his arms and ran in nothingness in a vain attempt to break loose from the invisible grip that had caught him. This struggle did not last long though, as seconds later, he found himself soaring straight towards the geranium haired girl, crashing down on top of her. The teens quickly got up again however, and took up a defensive stance side by side, determination burning in their eyes. Vader approached them slowly, his sabre humming threateningly, as he decided to take his time, wearing down their mental defences slowly, and show them of what importance it was to have your mind clear and without doubt, all for the sake of training, of course.

"You still have much to learn" he said coldly and made a slash that was parried simultaneously by Rei and Shinji. Vader only increased his pressure on their blades with his own, causing red sparks to fly and a great crackling to fill the air, and little by little forced them back.

"Even though you are two, you are still far too unskilled to take me on" the Sith continued, determined to hammer down on his pupils' inner strength as much as possible "and at this rate, you would hardly be able to serve as much more than lowly grunts…" He pushed them back further, and noticed the doubt starting to seep into their minds, especially in Shinji's case. Rei however seemed to be catching on to what the dark lord intended.

'_Shinji-kun,'_ she thought calmly, through the Force sending a message to her companion _'do not let him affect you, this is part of the training, Lord Vader is testing our cerebral strength…'_

Even if Shinji was still no-where near the ability to communicate through the Force, he was still able to pick up signals sent to him, and after verifying with a glance that it had indeed been Rei who sent the intelligence, he nodded. Vader was surprised to find that the pair's pressure on his blade was increasing, and in perfect synch also, retaking ground and forcing a status quo. The standstill went on, with neither the Sith Lord nor his students willing to give even an inch to the other. Trying to gain the upper hand once more, the Supreme Commander released another subliminal attack.

"You cannot win," he said mockingly "I am only toying with you, once I tire of this game I will make you kneel before me."

"Then why have you not done so already?" Rei asked bluntly. Before the dark Lord could answer, a hologram of Admiral Fuyutsuki appeared beside them.

"Lord Vader, we have arrived at the Hutt system and are approaching Nar Shadda as we speak" the silvery projection said. Vader eased their stance and deactivated his blade, with Shinji and Rei following suit, after which the Sith turned to the three-dimensional image of the elderly admiral.

"Very well, we will arrive at the bridge shortly" the dark Lord responded, striding out of the simulation room with his rather spent pupils in tow.

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"So that is Nar Shadda" Asuka asked unimpressed as she looked at the moon through the bridge's panorama windows "how dull…"

"Well, lucky for you than that you're not going down there" Misato said in an up-beat manner "you're gonna help Maya and her TIEs with the Nar Shadda fleet." The Purple-haired officer made a gesture towards Ibuki Maya, the woman that had accompanied Darth Vader on the meeting and the wing-leader for the TIE fighters aboard _Ramiel_. Asuka scoffed.

"You know, me and Hikari could take out any kind of ships ourselves in the _Zeppelin_" she boastfully proclaimed. Misato gave a smile.

"Maybe, but it's nice to have some company, right?"

Just then, the Supreme Commander of the Imperial forces, Darth Vader, entered the bridge, followed by a stoic Rei and a highly nervous Shinji, who was as always quite uncomfortable with gaining people's attention. They went up to Misato and Asuka, and were also joined by Fuyutsuki, Ritsuko and Maya. Hikari was down in the hangar together with Penpen, making some last minute preparations for the upcoming battle.

"Admiral," Vader said to Fuyutsuki "are our forces accounted for?" The greying officer swallowed a bit hesitantly.

"Um, nearly, my Lord" he said, then added "actually, about half of it is…"

"Why is that?" Vader inquired, only slightly annoyed, but with a promise of more to come if the answer was unsatisfactory.

"Well," Fuyutsuki began "we have the _Ramiel_ of course, and the victory-classed _Goliath_,_ Grendel_ and _Nephillim_, along with the interdictor _Tyrant_, but that is all. It appears the second Imperial-class destroyer, the _Gauntlet_, has been deterred by an uprising on Kessel, as were our Nebulon B frigates and Corellian corvettes."

"In other words," Vader said "we have but one heavy capital ship, and only half of the landing crew and fighter corps?"

"Yes, my Lord" said the old admiral with a gulp "Do you want to postpone the attack until at least the _Gauntlet_ reaches us?"

"No… it would give our enemies too much time to refine their tacticts" the Sith decided "we must strike while they are still quite unprepared." Misato was about to protest but caught herself in the last moment. Fuyutsuki merely nodded.

"As you wish my Lord," he said solemnly, and then turned to the three teens to give them the plan.

"Alright then," he began, looking at Rei and Shinji "You two will go in the _Requiem_ down to Nar Shadda, safeguarding the landing crafts. Don't let your guard down, the troopers' lives are in your hands, and there won't be any reinforcements. Once you're down on the moon, you will infiltrate Gargonn the Hutt's palace, the one who raided our research centre. We want you to dispose of him; it's as simple as that." Shinji raised his hand.

"What about the stolen data and Phantom prototypes?" he asked.

"We suspect they are in a different location, so don't worry 'bout that Shinji-kun" Misato said energetically "the 501sts will be taking care of those!" What she forgot to mention was that she'd be acting with the ground-force.

"Right," Fuyutsuki said, and then turned to Asuka "Miss Soryu, you'll be under Wing-leader Ibuki's lead and are to follow her orders, do you understand?" The proud Mandalorian nodded, albeit reluctantly. It didn't much suite her to be bossed around by someone else.

"Very well then," said Darth Vader "get to your stations."

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Soon enough, Shinji and Rei sat inside the cockpit of Requiem 01, Maya in her TIE-Interceptor and Asuka and Hikari in the _Kyoko Zeppelin_, all now flying out of great hangar of the _Ramiel_ and accompanied by a swarm of TIEs and one or two Sentinels. As they moved out of the hangar and out into space, they also joined with the ships from the other capital ships. The TIE-fighters were for the most part of the standard model, with huge solar panels and but two lasers each. However, in the throng Shinji could also distinguish quite a few bombers and interceptors, and of course the white Sentinels and larger Titan dropships he and Rei were supposed to protect.

"Well, I guess it feels a bit safer knowing we have all these guys watching our backs" the young pilot said, looking past his shoulder at Rei.

She met his gaze, as their seats now faced the same direction. This had been a new modification to the fighter, which was supposed to allow for greater targeting capabilities for the gunner, i.e. Rei, as well as an easy shift of control if the pilot, Shinji, should become disabled somehow. However, the design also held a major flaw. Even if the two Force-sensitives were able sense their surroundings to some degree; their rear was still more vulnerable to surprise attacks than before.

Rei didn't respond however, and Shinji turned back to the transparent screen with a sigh of rejection. He didn't have any chance to enter full moping mode however, as the intercom buzzed to life, relaying Fuyutsuki's voice to the ships.

"Right, you all have your orders, make the Emperor proud of you!"

With that all fighters took off en masse, the TIEs swarming through space like angry piranha-beetles and in their midst soared the _Kyoko Zeppelin _and the Requiem. The star-destroyers also advanced but at a slower pace, keeping in the background until they were needed. Suddenly, the Nar Shadda fleet came into view, appearing from behind the greyish moon. Shinji quickly checked the Requiem's tac-screen. It showed a fleet that was about two times as big as the imperial counterpart, a collection of Nebulon B frigates, _Strike_-class medium cruisers, two out-dated republic Acclaimators and myriads of small fighters that included everything from Z-95 Headhunters to various uglies, ships that had been assembled from various others.

'_Guess there's no turning back now…'_ he thought, tightening his grip on the handles and bracing himself.

The two lines rapidly closed in on each other and in an instant space erupted into an inferno of laser-battery shots and blasts. The elite TIE-pilots nimbly avoided the greater part of this initial onslaught, taking out a fair deal of the mercenary fighters without too much casualties. Shinji and Rei kept in front of the Sentinels and Titans, clearing a path trough the hordes towards the moon beyond and keeping the assailing uglies at bay.

"Ayanami, you think you can take out those three?" Shinji asked, indicating a trio of Y-TIE uglies, strange mixes of TIE-fighters and Y-wings, which were trying to sneak behind them.

"Affirmative" said the alizarin-eyed girl, forming dark spears with the Force and sent them soaring after the unfortunate mercenaries. The ships exploded one by one as they were impaled by the dark energy, and Shinji as felt the adrenaline being released into his system as the exhilarating feeling of power momentarily passed through him.

"You did it Ayanami!" Shinji exclaimed, but just then the insectoid fighter was shaken by a direct hit from one of a group of five Headhunters.

"Aargh!" the boy called out, while Rei let out a gasp as the stinging sensation of the fighter's own pain passing through their bodies. The out-dated vessels passed over them, then made a swift U-turn and returned from behind, firing new salves that forced the Requiem to fly away in an attempt to shake them off.

"Ayanami, can you target them!?" Shinji called out as he made the Requiem perform some narrow turns, which unfortunately only succeeded in gaining the attention of three Z'ceptors that joined the Headhunters in the pursuit.

"I cannot Ikari-kun," Rei answered, her voice tense "they are too difficult to target and… ah!" The final syllable came in a small yelp as the black fighter was once more shaken by a direct hit that threw the two teens forward in their seats.

"Shit…" Shinji hissed and bit his lip _'if this keeps up we'll be nothing more than sitting ducks…'_

The eight enemy fighters now fired mercilessly at their target, wearing down on the shields that Rei was painfully trying to sustain; while her companion was fully occupied with attempting to concentrate enough to make a speed boost that would take them out of range. Both their tasks were greatly hampered however, as with every hit they lost some of their concentration to increasing pain. Yet, suddenly one of the trailing Z'ceptors went up in flames, disappearing in an explosion that also took with it one of its comrades. These were shortly followed by three more. Shinji then gained enough awareness to make a sharp turn that allowed Rei to destroy the last three pursuers.

"Hey _di'kutk, _droid girl!" Asuka's voice boomed through the inter-com, proclaiming triumphantly "you owe me one now!"

"Ikari-kun," Hikari inflicted, sounding somewhat worried "are you all right?" The navy-eyed boy blushed slightly in the cockpit, glad the communication was sound only. Oddly enough, he also felt like a chilly wind came from just behind him.

"Um… yeah, Hikari," he said "we're fine thanks to you and Asuka."

"Th-that's good, Ikari-kun" Hikari responded and was also quite relieved the com-link was sound only so that Shinji wouldn't see her matching blush.

"Yeah, yeah," Asuka said impatiently "they're both alive, now let's find some more of these goons to blow up, this is the best fun I'd had in a while!" With that the _Zeppelin_ took off again, leaving the Requiem behind.

"Requiem, remember your objective, dammit!" Fuyutsuki suddenly barked through the intercom "we just lost one of the Titans because you were having a bloody field-trip! Luckily Shadow squadron covered for you and kept the casualties to just that, but see to it that it doesn't happen again!"

"Y-yes, Admiral!" Shinji stammered, and promptly returned the black fighter to the drop-ships. Again they cleared the way for the Sentinels and Titans to pass through the scours of fighters. Soon enough they were out of the worst part, having only lost another Titan on the way, and now started to descend upon the world below.

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It was quite a bumpy ride for the two pilots of the Requiem as they made their way down the lower atmosphere of the Hutt moon. Not only had they encountered quite a few patrolling enemy fighters, but an insane array of land based anti-space turbo-laser batteries as well, which had cost them one of the Sentinels. Fortunately, with Shinji at the helm and Rei dealing out unhampered slaughter amongst the enemy, the landing force had arrived at the palace where Gargonn the Hutt receded largely unscathed.

The majority of Sentinels and Titans took ground on a wide plaza, instantaneously deploying the stormtroopers and imperial walkers they had carried. A few of the Sentinels however continued with the Requiem, headed for the landing spots scattered about the palace grounds while the malicious fighter went straight for one of the higher platforms adjacent to the castle itself. However, even though they were now flying too low for the turbo-laser batteries to be of any use against them, this did not keep the stationed guards and mercenaries from firing everything they had at the black fighter.

"Ayanami, we should clear out one of those platforms" Shinji suggested and pointed at the closest landing spot which was virtually crawling with enemy soldiers.

"I agree" Rei said coolly and started making dark purplish orbs of energy from the Requiems force-field, launching them at the unfortunate troopers who began to fall like leaves in autumn.

Shinji swooped lower so that Rei would get clearer vision, before making a sharp turn so the bug-like fighter could make another swipe over the platform, cleaning out any remaining thugs. The few of these that hadn't died or run a way already now found themselves facing either the oncoming Requiem, or a two hundred feet jump to the next level. Quite a few opted for the second alternative, their shrill screams as they fell haplessly over the edges chilling the sensitive boy to the core.

"They're just targets, nothing more, just targets…" Shinji repeated to himself as he began to feel slightly ill, though soon the soft voice of his co-pilot eased his mind.

"Shinji-kun, we are clear to land now" she alerted monotonously. Shinji nodded, made one last swoop and landed. The newly installed cleaning system quickly cleansed their bodies of the sticky elixir which otherwise would have both hampered their movement and giving them away with its unmistakable smell. As soon as they were clean, the teens exited through the hatch and then proceeded to entering the vast fortress.

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In space, the battle went on. The Huttese fleet had now also put their capital ships into action, forcing the imperials to do likewise. Onboard the _Ramiel_ the higher officers watched the blazing lightshow while directing fire to where it was needed.

"Thanatos squadron, aim for the for the Nebulon's engines!" Fuyutsuki barked "Soul's Refrain and Tempest squadrons keep an eye on those fighters coming in from starboard's side!" A huge shockwave without warning travelled through the whole ship, bringing almost everyone off their balance.

"Damage report!" Darth Vader demanded.

"Shield generator B has been taken out, my Lord," a techie reported "relaying power to the remaining generator, estimated time is thirtynine seconds." Minor blasts began to pound on the ship as the enemy now began assaulting it like a dying wilder-nerf, while the techies worked frantically to get the defences back up. Suddenly another huge blast shook the giant vessel, and as Fuyutsuki took a peak at the tactical map he cursed below his breath.

"Dammit, send word to _Tyrant_!" Fuyutsuki ordered "I want that Acclamator locked down completely!"

"Right away, Admiral!"

It only took a few minutes for the Interdictor ship the _Tyrant_ to come to their rescue, targeting the assaulting Acclamator with its enormous gravity-well engines beginning to pull at it while bombarding the trapped ship with ion-cannon and turbo-laser shots, locking it in a death grip. The Acclamator fought back, but the strategically targeted blasts from the _Tyrant _as well as the _Ramiel_ which had now joined in the subjugation made any attempts of escape futile. Soon enough the two star destroyers had penetrated the armour of the smaller capital ship and minutes later the cruiser turned into a brief nebula as it exploded.

"You know," Fuyutsuki said with a sigh to the Supreme Commander "it's really depressing how freelancers always end up stealing our ships and use them against us. Just for once, I would like to destroy a ship we didn't pay for in the first place…"

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Shinji and Rei had entered the Hutt alcazar without much initial problem, only having had to fight off some mercenaries and robotic defences in the dimly lit halls and corridors. The cobalt eyed boy initially thought this was kind of strange, as it appeared to be only a few guards that were dispatched in these levels. However, after a while Shinji began to think that, considering the layout of the place, guards weren't really needed as any infiltrators would most likely get lost instantly. In a vague pondering the young pilot figured that perhaps it was the same person that had made the plans for GEHIRN as well as the _Ramiel_. He silently vowed to find that person someday and teach him a lesson.

His thoughts of vengeance for having been tricked into loosing his path on numerous occasions were interrupted by a bloodcurdling screech that originated from further down the dark corridor. Rei activated her weapon without a second's thought and Shinji soon followed her example, activating his as well.

"What do you think it is?" the nervous boy asked in a slightly shaky voice. Rei continued to stare down the hallway, as if trying to pierce through the dusk with her red eyes.

"I am not certain," the girl responded, "I have never heard such a sound before…"

The howl erupted again, closer this time, and Shinji felt goose-bumps emerge on his skin. However, even after several minutes they had still not been attacked by any kind of nightmarish creature. Instead, Shinji experienced something that gave him even more of a fright; the burning heat of a lightsabre being held very close to his throat. Glancing to his left, Shinji found that a bronze-coloured blade, that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, was placed less than an inch from his neck. The cobalt eyed boy inhaled in surprise, but dared not to move or even call out, since that would most likely have been a very stupid thing to do. He didn't have to alert Rei about the danger though, as his gasp had been quite enough. Shinji beheld with horrified fascination how Rei's usually cold and distant eyes started to burn like molten fire as she brought her hand to the hilt of her own weapon.

"I wouldn't try anything if I were you" said the mysterious assaulter from behind his captive as he saw Rei reaching for her sabre "unless you actually _want_ your little friend here to become a head shorter." Rei froze almost instantly and looked straight at the figure, whose only features she could make out in the dim lighting was a flowing, grey cloak and an almost bestial gauntlet that held onto the blade.

"Who are you?" the blue-haired girl asked in monotone. Shinji actually thought her voice was even more chilly than usual.

"Hm?" the figure said casually, as if he hadn't been paying attention "Oh, I guess you could say I'm just someone who really, _really_ doesn't like the Empire." This, Shinji decided, was not good. People that were able to talk that easily with someone they claimed to hate bitterly, was either not being sincere, or stark raving mad. The young pilot was quite sure which of the alternatives was the most likely. However, he came up with an idea that might give them the upper hand against the stranger.

"You will let us go" Shinji said, as calmly as possible.

"Nope" the figure responded. Shinji blinked in surprise, that wasn't what he had been supposed to say. The young pilot decided to give it another try, putting more authority behind his words.

"You Will Let Us Go."

"I already said no, kid" the shadowy captor responded "I mean, who knows what you two might do to our operations here if I just let you stroll around? Gargonn wouldn't be happy with that, and neither would my superiors…"

"Who are your superiors?" Rei asked, the now quite discernable chill in her voice standing in absolute contrast to the still burning fire of her eyes.

"Hm…" said the cloaked man, as if pondering the question "sorry, can't tell you that missy. Actually, I think I was supposed to do something right now… oh, yeah, that's right."

Without any kind of initial warning and with lightning speed the man then suddenly flipped his sabre around and hit Shinji hard in the neck with the blunt hilt. The boy sagged to the ground with a thud and a groan. With a snake-like hiss, Rei drew her sabre with a speed that matched the assailant's and flew against the man in a drilling motion, sabre first and aimed at his chest. A blink of an eye later, the girl crashed onto the corridor floor, accompanied by her intended target's mocking chuckle.

"This is what the Empire's agents are like?" he hooted "I thought you would be more of a challenge!" In another blink of the eye however, the mysterious man realised that during his gloating, the girl had disappeared. It didn't take him long to relocate her however, at least not when he felt the heat of a lighsabre being held close to his throat. Rei had expected him to be surprised, even angry, but her captive just let out another laugh.

"Well, that's more like it!" he said merrily, and somehow slipped out of the tight spot and brought his bronze sabre down on Rei's blood red one "Wanna fight, little girl?" Rei's response came in breaking the locked state between them and aiming for the left shoulder of her frankly quite annoying opponent. The man easily blocked that attack as well, still chuckling, before taking the initiative for another strike.

'_He is fast…'_ Rei noted as she caught the attack.

Believing in her abilities to hold the cloaked man at bay, she let him make a few more moves that she parried mechanically, trying to analyze her opponent's style. However, taking her thoughts of the battle proved to be a huge mistake, as the man took the opportunity to Force push the cerulean haired girl, causing her to fly through the air with a gasp of surprise. The push took Rei at least some one hundred metres down the corridor where she once again had a close contact of the ground kind. As soon after the imperial girl had taken off her gleeful adversary had followed, and now hovered above her with his sabre ready and having dropped his hood to reveal a greyish-black canine mask, attached to full body armour of the same style and colour.

In her slightly dazed state, Rei could only conjure a faint memory of what the concealing armour meant, though it had had something to do with an uprising on a remote planet called Susevfi. She did not find any more time to remember further, as the armoured warrior now brought his bronze blade down at her. The alizarin eyed girl rolled to the side and darted to her feet by the wall, holding her still activated red sabre in a mid-defensive stance. The wolf-masked man laughed again and Rei gritted her teeth, despite her adeptness with controlling her emotions, she found this person to be extremely aggravating.

"Still not giving up, eh?" he jeered, bridging the distance between them with a Force enhanced leap, bringing his sabre down like a meat-cleaver.

However, his powerful attack only managed to cut a wide gap into the wall, with Rei having swiftly removed herself to the side. She figured the time it would take her opponent to realise his mistake would be just the time needed for her to make short work of him. Yet, her plan backfired even before it was put into action due to an unforeseen variable in the form of a troupe of guards that had happened upon the duel and now fired blue stun-rays at the girl which instantly knocking her out. The bestially masked man deactivated his sabre and went up to the closest mercenary, a Twi'lek of the blue-skinned kind.

"Aww, why'dya do that?" he whined almost childlike "I was having such a fun time…"

"I think the Boss would like her alive" the Twi'lek said in his hissing, accented basic.

"Hey, I wasn't going to kill her," the cloaked man defended himself "I was just, you know, going to cut off an arm or two…"

"Yes, but the Boss likes his belongings to be in prefect condition."

"Alright, I get it" the shadow said with a shrug "but what about the other one, the kid?" Twi'lek broke into a vicious, needle-toothed grin.

"The Boss is also very fond of his pets," he said insinuatingly "and he wants them to be well fed…"

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"Haha, who's your momma, that's right, I am!" Asuka jeered as she sent yet another ugly together with its pilot to the hereafter. Hikari's nervous eyes darted between the controls before her and her friend. The pigtailed girl was having some quite mixed feelings about the whole situation she had gotten into.

For one thing, she was absolutely horrified by having to partake in this massacre. Of course she had seen Asuka kill and maim people before, but that had all been singular events and mostly people that deserved it. But this was completely insane! So many lives being lost just because of some data plans and prototypical fighters! The very thought made the girl want to through up then and there. However, Asuka didn't seem to show any such qualms against the bloodshed.

"Yeah, take that you bastards, and that!" the armoured firebrand shouted as she hounded after a gang of Twi'lekian Chir'daki, taking them out one by one. However, even though the bloodthirsty pilot of the _Kyoko Zeppelin_ was having a ball, the overall situation for the imperial side was, to put it mildly, not the best.

The top-trained TIE-pilots were slowly forced to take up a defensive role, least they be wiped out completely by the swarming masses of mercenary fighters. The regular TIEs had it worst, as they were not only extremely easy to target with their oversized solar-panels, but also possessed no shielding, making them fall out of the air like swatted flies. The interceptors had it slightly lighter since they were faster and with far better armament, being able to take out other fighters single-handedly, while normal TIEs required several fighters to co-operate. However, as they were still outnumbered an estimate five to one, they were slowly being decimated as well.

Concerning the capital ships, the situation was a similar one. The imperial star-destroyers were superior to the old and badly maintained counterparts on the Hutt side in every single way, save for the sheer matter of number. The _Ramiel_, even though having been able to take out one of the Huttese Acclamators, was now locked in a battle of life and death with two of the Loronar Strike cruisers that were currently focusing their power to weaken the larger ship's shields sufficiently to annihilate it. Aboard the assaulted star-destroyer, Fuyutsuki was fervently giving orders in a brave attempt to save the ship as well as the crew from becoming space dust.

"Target their main reactors, cripple their movements!" he ordered the gunners as he patrolled the catwalk of the bridge.

"Right away, Admiral!"

"Do we have any fighter support?"

"Yes Admiral!"

"Send two squadrons for the shield generators of the closest target!" A sudden impact shook the bridge once more.

"Shields!?" the aged admiral demanded.

"Holding, but down to forty percent!"

"Incoming enemy fighters!" a techie alerted.

"Avert power from secondary systems to maintain shield and weapons!" The aged man went back to the tactical map where Lord Vader also stood.

"Admiral Fuyutsuki," said the Sith critically "the fighters are all in total disarray."

"My Lord, the enemy is too unpredictable" said the greying officer "they are compromised of pilots from every corner of the galaxy, flying after individual patterns or no pattern at all, it is very demoralising for our pilots."

"Then I shall have to present them with a morale boost" said Vader bluntly and hit the communicator on his robotic arm.

"Prepare my personal fighter immediately!" he ordered through the com-link, then turned for the door and exited the bridge without further words. Fuyutsuki watched silently as he left.

'_I hope he can bring some order back into our fighting…'_ he thought and then went back to his own duties, swearing as another series of enemy blasts caused some of the bridge's control panels to take fire from short-circuiting.

'_And really I wish those ships at Kessel would hurry up already!'_ he added.

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Shinji woke up with a sore neck, lying on his back on a hard and very cold durasteel floor in what appeared to be some kind of dungeon. With a probing feel of his belt he realised that his sabre had been taken from him. Wincing a bit as he sat upright, the young pilot looked around his prison. It looked somewhat like an arena, a gigantic, circular dome but without any balconies, just a variety of doors ranging from small to monster big. Also, he noticed that along the walls were distributed a fair number of stationary cameras.

'_Arena…monster… cameras…'_ the boy thought absently while his dazed brain worked this information through. Revelation hit him like a wet towel to the face.

"Oh, _shit_!" he exclaimed, and at the same time one of the larger doors, if not _the_ largest, began to slowly open.

Mortal fear assaulted the teen as he suddenly heard the blood-curling roar and impatient multiple steps of some enormous beast confined beyond the gate. The first glimpse Shinji got of the monster was a pair of glowing eyes, each the rough size of his own head, staring hungrily at him through the growing crack. Shortly after, a scaly snout and a maw appeared that harboured countless sharp teeth as long as Shinji's lower arm. In that instance, the boy broke free from his fear-induced paralysis and started running away from the nearly open gate.

Seeing its intended prey escape however, was not in the monster's plan, therefore it promptly trashed through the entrance, flattening the heavy durasteel gate to the roof and bringing down great chunks of it in the process. Against better knowledge, Shinji turned his head around as he ran in search of someplace to hide and was now able to identify the gargantuan beast. It was something that was almost straight out of story-books and out-dated horror movies, a larger than life, one hundred metres long, ten legged, and by the looks of it very hungry greater krayt dragon. And it was coming straight at him.

The beast was despite its bulk incredibly fast and soon caught up with Shinji, who managed to duck just in time to avoid being caught by the dragon's merciless jaws. However, this manoeuvre caused the young pilot to find himself stumbling between the monster's ten legs, barely evading the pillar-sized columns that stomped wildly as the creature searched in frustration for its lunch. The teen emerged at the tail-end of the living tunnel, but the slim luck he had experienced with the krayt's legs did not hold in matter of its powerful tail, and within seconds Shinji was thrown into the wall by the flailing limb. He hit the far wall and all his air was pressed out of his lungs, leaving him to gasp like a fish on dry land as he collapsed onto the ground.

'_So this is it?'_ the boy thought _'I'm going to die alone in some off-world dungeon, eaten by a giant krayt dragon? I guess this really isn't my thing…' _

"_I believe in you…"_ Shinji blinked.

"Rei?" he asked aloud, unwantedly regaining the attention of the confused krayt, which now came stampeding towards him. Shinji was still too much in a daze to be able t react to the onslaught in time, and opted for closing his eyes and hoping for a quick death. However before his inner eye, the beautiful sapphire-haired girl suddenly appeared among a host of threatening shadows that closed in on her. As the darkness engulfed her, she passed a pleading look with her ruby eyes towards Shinji...

"NO!" the boy suddenly screamed out and at that very instance let out a powerful burst of dark Force energy from his fingertips. The Krayt had been only metres from its prey, its maw open wide to devour the boy, but the sudden dark side discharge that had now taken the shape of blue lightning struck the dragon with an aptitude so great that it brought the charging monster to a halt. However, Shinji didn't let it stay by that, letting out scream after scream each which was accompanied by a powerful bolt of lightning.

"I won't die here!" the boy raved, intensifying his attack "I can't! I need to save her!"

Gaining the upper hand, Shinji continued to use his new-found power without mercy, sending wave after wave of pain incarnate sizzling and crackling over and through the dragon's body. The creature roared and writhed uncontrollably in its agony, eventually falling onto its back as the torture continued, scratching the cold durasteel with its claws. Smoke began to rise from the krayt as it was slowly being roasted alive and it now even began to claw itself in its burning flesh, creating deep wounds from which thick blood pulsed. Finally, after what had seemed like hours, the krayt let out its final sigh and then fell silent.

When the rush of rage subsided, Shinji stared at the scorched carcass and then shifted his eyes to the hands that had performed the malicious act, wholly unable to comprehend the fact that it was _he_ who had done this. Then, as realisation dawned and his mind began to creak under the mental strain, the boy fell to his knees and vomited. It wasn't just the gruesome scene or the mordant stench from the cadaver that made him ill, but also the lingering feeling that somewhere, deep down, he had _enjoyed_ it.

Staggering back to his feet after a few minutes' breather, the boy suddenly noticed a faint gleam in the carrion's open chest. Moving towards it as in trance, the young pilot soon found the object to be a pale and very smooth pearl. Overcoming his revulsion of touching the dead creature, Shinji quickly picked up the small gem, and after wiping of the blood smeared all over it, put it in his pocket. Following that he turned away from the fallen dragon and began his search for a way out.

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"Admiral, the _Goliath_ has been destroyed!"

"Dammit!" Fuyutsuki exclaimed, banging his fist on his tac-screen. They had finally managed to take out the two Strike cruisers that had been harassing them, and then this happened, basically bringing them back to square one. The old officer swore again. "What about the others?"

"_Tyrant_ is being assaulted by the remaining Acclamator and has sustained heavy damage, _Grendel_ is crippled but shields and weapons are still intact, _Nephillim_ has only received minor damage."

"Focus all fire at the enemy's Acclamator!" Fuyutsuki ordered. He'd be damned if he lost another ship in this battle.

"Right away Admiral!"

The _Ramiel _charged to the _Tyrant's_ rescue, along with the Thanatos and Shadow squadrons firing all batteries at the final Acclamator. Despite being old however, the ex-republican cruiser was both well shielded and well armed, enabling it to both continue with its attack on the _Tyrant_ as well as meet the new threat. Also, a nearby Nebulon B as well as scours of mercenary fighters meant that it wouldn't have to fend the imperials off on its own. However, the one in charge of the out-dated ship hadn't considered the existence of either Darth Vader's TIE advanced or Asuka and Hikari's _Kyoko Zeppelin_. This would soon prove to be a fatal mistake.

While the _Ramiel_ and _Nephillim_ now became locked with the Acclamator and the Nebulon B, Vader took the lead of the Thanatos squadron and flew towards the Acclamator's shield batteries, while Maya and Shadow squadron began harassing the enemy fighters. Thanatos squadron immediately began their relentless attack on the two shield generators that were placed on the giant ship's wings. The first of the shield turrets quickly fell but as the TIEs approached the second one, mercenary ships that had avoided Maya and her group appeared from behind, starting to hunt the imperials like womp-rats. Almost all of the twelve ships were instantly destroyed, leaving only Darth Vader and one or two others.

However the golden clad _Zeppelin_ together with two whole squadrons of mixed TIEs suddenly appeared and engaged the mercenaries. After most the enemy fighters had been blasted into space dust or chased away, Asuka turned her ship around and together with Hikari began launching round after round of energy torpedoes at the Acclamator's remaining shield generator. It only took a few minutes for the lone craft to take out the tower, bringing the enemy shields down completely. Fire instantly became concentrated upon the now defenceless ship, Asuka herself aimed for the bridge, soon causing the whole craft to go up in a storm of fire.

"Yeah bitch!" Asuka cheered across the channels as her craft flew away from the burning remains of the Acclaimator.Yet, the Mandalorian's shadenfreude averted both her and her friend's attention from the tac-screen, and without warning the _Zeppelin _was hit by a powerful blast from behind, sending sparks flying inside the cockpit and knocking the two girls unconscious.

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Shinji cautiously stalked the corridors of the Huttese castle, keeping himself in the shadows to avoid detection. Seeing as the Hutts appeared to enjoy dimly lit homes, this didn't pose much of a problem. What did pose a problem however, was the fact that he had no idea where he was headed. Yet, even though he had no idea where he was headed, the young pilot still had a distinct feeling that he was going on the right track. Instinct or wild guessing, whatever it was the boy still somehow seemed to know exactly which way he was supposed to be going. Shinji felt that every time he was faced with a crossing, one of the directions always had an overwhelming 'pull' on him, guiding him right. Still, after having walked around the palace for almost an hour, he was starting to have doubts about this way of orientation.

'_Maybe I should just Mind Trick some of the goons around here…' _he reasoned as he continued his track, now absently searching for someone 'willing' to show him the right way.

However, just as he began reflecting upon this matter, Shinji suddenly came to a very large and exquisite chamber. It was adorned with colourful carpets and drapes, expensive furniture and exotic art, all of them originating from some distant corner of the galaxy. But the young pilot only paid the grandiloquent lodging a moments thought, as his full attention was taken by a very specific something, or rather someone, that occupied the centre of the room.

"A-ayanami!" Shinji gasped and felt his cheeks heat up.

Rei was lying on her back on a low divan, her left leg placed somewhat higher than her right, her right arm having slipped down a bit with her ivory fingertips brushing the carpeted floor and her left arm had been pulled up so that its hand rested gently by her navy blue locks. The girl's piloting uniform had been replaced by a silvery, bikini-like attire that also sported an indigo-coloured skirt of sorts, although it really was just a pair of silken pieces trailing down her thighs. From her expression Shinji drew the conclusion that she was either heavily asleep, or affected by some kind of drug.

"Ayanami!" the boy repeated, raising his voice so as to rouse the girl from her lethargy.

Stepping closer, he also noticed a low pillar standing by the divan with a wooden frame on it and clinging onto the frame was a small, brownish reptilian creature. The animal struck Shinji as rather odd, and he got a very uneasy feeling from it, despite its size. However, every thought of the lizard was instantaneously swept away as the boy saw a faint gleam around Rei's porcelain neck. Taking a few more steps, he was almost overcome with anger as he saw what the gleam was; a chain which's other end was fastened to the column with the frame.

'_They… they DARE treat her like this!?'_ he thought in outrage, and was about to rush to the girl's aid when he suddenly heard a voice.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…"

Shinji spun around and instantly recognised the shadowy person that they had run into some hours prior. Then he noticed that the curtains he previously thought were just a form of decoration had been pulled aside, now revealing the obese form of Gargonn the Hutt sitting on a huge power chair. With revulsion the sensitive boy noted that the right side of the kingpin's face was nothing more than a gaping void, probably due to some previous injury, but the Hutt's lone reptilian eye was no less menacing because of this. Surrounding their boss were scores of leering and heavily armed mercenaries of different species, as well as the cloaked figure.

'_It was a trap all along…'_ he though glumly and sagged his shoulders in defeat.

"Hi kid, glad you could make it!" the robed man said jovially "hey, what do you think of your buddy's new getup? It was Garonn's idea actually, you know how these Hutts love to play dress up with pretty girls, and keep exotic pets for that matter. Must be something genetic…"

"Why's she asleep?" Shinji demanded, his fuel returning in response to the man's cheerful and enervating rambling. The cloaked man shrugged.

"Gee, dunno, maybe she's sleepy…"

"You know what I mean," the teen retorted "she's completely knocked out goddammit!" The hound-masked figure gave another laugh.

"Alright you got me, kid" he said "see that little fella' on that frame? That's an ysalamir, and what's special about those are they make bubbles where the Force simply don't work. Think it's something about having to avoid force-sensitive predators or something…"

'_Wait… the Force doesn't work around that thing? Then… does that mean…'_ A most unpleasant thought appeared in the cobalt eyed youth's mind. He had once heard Ritsuko mention that life and the Force were somehow connected. If that was so, then Rei could already be…

"Dead…?" he whispered, feeling an icy hand grip around his heart.

"Hm? Nah, don't think so… then again she _did _black out almost as soon as we put her there… It's really interesting y'know, seems like she's addicted to the Force or something, like some big part of her goes missing if she loses contact… so perhaps, if she's cut off long enough she'll die." The shadow made a pause.

"Wanna find out?" it then asked, and Shinji was almost certain the man was grinning behind his mask. The young Force-adept almost lost it then and there.

"You…you _monster_!" Shinji roared and charged mindlessly at the masked man, who nimbly jumped out of the way.

"Hey, you've got spirit, I like that!" he called out as the boy spun around "But it's really boring to fight if you don't have a weapon, so I guess I'll lend you this." The man then tossed a black cylinder at Shinji who caught it and upon a quick examination found that it was his own sabre.

"Hey, this is the lightsabre you stole from me!" the boy called out, but was brought into different matters as the cloaked man now charged against him.

'_Whoa!'_ Shinji mentally exclaimed as the fierce warrior came dashing at him. The young boy barely had time to blink before the enemy weapon was being brought down upon him, and only with his recently acquired reflexes was he able to catch the attack with his own blade. The sheer power of the attack pushed the light boy backwards, but he still managed to hold.

'_He's damn fast… and strong too… it's like fighting Lord Vader and Ayanami at the same time…'_ Shinji thought as the two began to wrestle with their blades.

The matching of strength didn't last long though, as the veiled assailant quickly jumped away again. However, this proved to be just a staging point, as he used the acceleration from the first leap to increase his second, thus jumping behind the stunned pilot. To Shinji's great surprise though, he didn't experience the searing pain of a lightsabre cutting through his spine, but instead was flung several feet away, hitting a crystal sculpture that shattered into a million shards. The shrouded man turned rather awkwardly towards the Hutt on his power chair.

"Uh, sorry 'bout that…" he said.

"_Chess ko, koochoo_!" Gargonn bubbled angrily, pointing a flabby finger at the cloaked fighter.

The shadowy warrior chuckled and then charged for the teen that had just now gotten back onto his feet. Shinji was barely able to keep his ground when he was assaulted anew; though this time he didn't wait for his adversary to repeat his strategy, instead attempting to grab the initiative himself. The boy broke loose from the locked state and adopted a hit-and-run scheme, a clumsy imitation of the moves he had seen Rei perform during training. To his credit should be given though, that his swift strikes and feints actually seemed to confuse his opponent for a moment, though he wasn't able to inflict any damage. However, after the element of surprise had passed, the masked figure took the upper hand once more, dealing mid-heavy battering on the teen's sabre.

"_Hagwa na yoka_!_ Kilya_!" ordered the slimy Hutt, slamming his fist onto the arm support of his power chair. The masked warrior let out a displeased grunt, barely audible over the crackling of lightsabres.

"'Stop fooling around' eh? And it was just getting good too…" he grumbled, pulling back slightly to amass the strength needed for the finishing blow. Shinji, panting and with aching muscles, meekly held up his own blade, even if he knew he would never be capable of taking the attack that was coming. Without warning however, the whole palace shook from a monumental explosion that cracked the walls, not to mention more of Gargonn's treasures, and forced everyone off their balance. As the worst vibrations died off, a wounded and slightly hysteric Nikto guard ran into the chamber, just as everyone was getting to their feet.

"_Lorda_!_ Lorda_!" he yelled feverishly "_D'emperiolo so noleeya ta bunko_!" Another ground-shaking blast punctuated his report, and in an instance what influence Gargonn's wealth and power had wielded upon the guards went out the window, ensuing pandemonium as they all took to panicked flight. After all, what good did money do you if you weren't alive to spend it?

"_Maya wermo_!" the Hutt roared in outrage but his curses fell on deaf ears.

In the midst of this chaos, Shinji discovered that his masked adversary had also disappeared and carefully yet quickly moved over to Rei who had begun to stir. As the boy came up close, he now felt the odd, not to say absolutely terrifying, un-Force bubble generated by the ysalamir. It was very much like instantaneously going both blind and deaf. Not wanting for Rei to be confined like that even a second longer he drew his lightsabre and cut the reptilian creature down. He felt a bit sad to having to do that however… the ysalamir hadn't done anything wrong really. Rei blinked a few times and then sat up, supporting herself with one arm while she with her free hand nursed her temple.

"Ikari-kun?" she said drowsily, her innocent expression combined with her revealing clothes promptly forcing Shinji to plug his nose so as not to die from a fatal nose bleed.

'_Oh man… she looks so damn…'_ he thought, wholly unable to avert his eyes from the beautiful girl, even though he felt bad about staring at her in this exposed state. However, the mental battle as well as the guilty admiration of his co-pilot made Shinji completely oblivious to what went on around him. Therefore he was totally unprepared for the slimy tail that hit him hard in the back.

"Aargh!" he called out in surprise and pain.

"Ikari-kun!" Rei exclaimed.

"You and your _D'emperiolo _friends have ruined my organisation and destroyed my palace, _pedunkee_" said a gurgling voice as Shinji felt himself being lifted by strong, glutinous hands and being brought mere inches from the lone eye of Gargonn the Hutt "I can't kill all of you _wermo_, so you and this bitch will have to do…"

"No, you will let us go!" Shinji exclaimed, boosting his words with his Mind Trick power. The Hutt didn't release him though; it only gave a gruesome half-smile and a booming laughter.

"Ho ho ho hooo, you can't trick me, _pedunkee_" he said mockingly "Hutts are never so weak-minded to fall for that!" Seeing as his technique didn't have any effect on his opponent, Shinji then reverted to an ancient form of close combat; kicking and screaming.

"Let me go! Let me go!" he yelled, punching the fat snail wherever he could reach, but the slimy, shapeless flesh took no damage whatsoever.

"Ho ho hooo, you're making me really hungry now," Gargonn continued, licking his flabby lips with his gooey tongue "I very much like it when my food puts up a fight!" The young pilot's eyes shot up wide in terror.

'_He… he's going to EAT me!?'_ his mind screamed, and then he put even more effort into getting away, but the giant snail proved too strong. Worse yet, the Hutt was now opening wide its broad mouth, displaying a mucous, odorous darkness. Shinji then lost all self control and screamed at the top of his lungs as Gargonn slowly brought the cobalt eyed teen closer and closer to his maw. Suddenly, his journey towards the pit of the crime-lord's stomach came to an unexpected halt as Gargonn became fixed in place for some unknown reason.

The reason didn't stay unknown for long though, for as the Hutt began to ease his grip on the boy and gurgled incomprehensibly, Shinji saw a red lightsabre piercing deeply into the snail's side. And holding the blade was Ayanami Rei, her eyes flaring like supernovas. But, it appeared that the Hutt had only been temporarily stunned by the sneak attack, and now threw his would-be meal across the room in order to engage this new threat.

However, Rei swiftly cut off the Hutt's right arm as he attempted to grab her, and then went for the left one, severing it as well. The crime-lord howled in agony and began to back away from the fearsome girl. But Rei had no plans on letting the giant snail crawl away, and immediately charged for the creature's broad belly, assaulting it mercilessly with deep cuts and stabs. Green ooze splattered every time the red blade made contact with the bloated body, and soon there was more of the slime outside than inside the Hutt. Finally, Rei gave the coup de grace, slicing away what was left of the kingpin's face, ending its existence.

For a few seconds, Rei loomed silently over the slaughtered being, gazing unfocusedly on the corpse, and then she gave up a sigh and fell backwards. Shinji, who was just getting up from the floor, wincing slightly as a few more bruises had been added to his collection, only heard the thud from the navy-haired girl as she hit the ground. But in the moment he heard the sound, he immediately darted over to his fallen friend, praying to whatever god there was that she was okay.

"Rei!" he called out in alarm as he arrived at the unconscious girl and went down on his knees by her petite form and lifted her head and torso to rest on his lap. He carefully wiped away some of the green ooze that coated her face, his feelings of concern overriding every thought of embarrassment from being so close to her. Soon enough Rei's eyes flickered open.

"Ikari… kun?" she said weakly. Suddenly she felt something wet splash against her cheek. She looked more closely at the boy holding her, observing that his eyes were dripping and his shoulders shook slightly.

"Ikari-kun… you are crying, are you in pain?" she inquired. Shinji gingerly wiped away the tears with his free arm, getting some of the Hutt's sludge on his face as well.

"N-no, Ayanami…" he answered "I'm… I'm just so happy that you're alright!" The girl was quiet for a few minutes before replying.

"Yes…" she said quietly "I suppose that I am… happy, also" Shinji continued to look at the girl in his arms, realising this was the first time she had ever revealed any of her feelings to him. It made him feel warm inside, and his smile grew. Rei now sat up and soon after came to her somewhat unsteady feet. Shinji gave her a concerned look

"Can you walk?" he asked, getting up as well. Rei answered with a confident nod, however after taking but only a few steps she collapsed again, though this time Shinji was there to catch her.

"I-it's okay, Ayanami…" he stuttered and blush furiously, feeling the warmth and softness of her skin as he supported her "I c-can carry you, if you want me to…" Seeing as she didn't protest, Shinji gently lifted her in his arms, marvelling at how light she was.

'_It's like she doesn't weigh anything at all…'_ he thought, then began to slowly walk towards the hallway, being careful not to drop the girl in his arms. As she was carried, Rei suddenly had an impulse to wrap her arms around Shinji's neck, telling herself it was for better support, but with this felt much warmer and… safe.

'_At the time master found me… I felt this way also…'_ she thought drowsily, then after a moments thought added _'no… it is similar, but this feels different somehow…' _Feeling exhausted, she laid her head to rest on the boy's shoulder and was soon fast asleep. As she snoozed, the tiniest fraction of a smile played on her lips.

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_To be continued…_

AN: I'm sorry it took such a long time to update this chapter, hope it was well worth the wait though.

To Konous: Well I guess it's a necessary evil to have someone point out your mistakes to you, no hard feelings from my side. Who's going to train Shinji in the path of Light? Are you _sure _I'm going to have him become light at all? But if I _did_ make him good, I think I'd have him train with a certain little green elf, but I'm not sure.

To Gunman: Y'know, I actually start to think I should reply to you with a mail or something, considering the length of your reviews, not that I'm complaining. Yes, Mengel V is a direct reference to doctor Mengele the Nazi, AKA the Angel of Death. Thought it was a fitting name for a planet devoted to inhumane experiments. No it's not Lillith, sorry, the Angels will only appear in brief cameos if at all. Misato will always be Misato, simple as that. And Asuka… well I was going to have her as a warrior, but making her a thief was just too good to resist. Omake has been noted, but I can't promise you when it will appear. Fixed, I was really displeased with the snapping Asuka scene myself, but if you read that same scene again, you'll find that it's been revised to a more IC happening. Thanks again for reviewing!

To Alucard: I hope you weren't too disappointed with what little I did to Asuka, I actually toyed with the thought of torturing her a bit, but that would have made the rest of the chapter really difficult to play out the way I wanted, and would most likely have taken even longer. But if I may say so I think humiliation would have quite a great impact on Asuka, seeing as how proud she is.

To JediMasterDarjaak: First of all, I really hope I made the battle good enough, I wanted to give the ground troops some screen time also but, well, it just wasn't meant to be. Also I've hinted somewhat about Asuka's past, but she's actually quite a hard character to write for in my opinion. I'll try to incorporate more of her in the next chapter, as well as your suggestion about Hikari's crush on Shinji.

To Zarzer: Well the Requiem's back, it got less screen time than I wanted though. Kaworu won't be piloting, but I'll have him do other things you get to hate him for, just you wait…

As always, I've tried to make the Huttese and Mandalorian meanings as evident as possible, but I'll still be presenting this little explanation.

_Shabla aruetii_! Fucking traitor!

_Chess ko, koochoo_! Careful idiot!

_Hagwa na yoka_!_ Kilya_! Stop fooling around (joking)! Kill (him)!

_Lorda_!_ Lorda_!_ D'emperiolo so noleeya ta bunko_! Boss! Boss! The Imperials are in the palace!

_Maya wermo_! Weak-minded cowards!

_D'emperiolo _Imperial

_Pedunkee _Punk

And that's it, please review, and may the Force be with YooooOOOooooUUUuuuu!

Ausir.


	10. Chapter 9

Long time no see (or read, perhaps?)! New chapter everyone, hope you're not to mad at me for making you wait all this time, and you're all free to flame me about that.Anyways, I'm back on the track again, so please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Alright, ya know the drill; I don't own either StarWars or Evangelion. Also, I don't own the character Leinad Ekkru introduced in this chapter on JediMasterDarjaak's request. Aditionally, JediMasterDarjaak is the writer of the _entire _second piece (the one introducing the aforementioned OC that is).

StarWars Jukebox (You know you want it!) plays: _Enter Lord Vader_

_**Fly Me to the Stars**_

_A Star Wars/Evangelion x-over by Ausir_

_(Guest writer: JediMasterDarjaak) _

_Chapter 9_

The battle for Nar Shaddaa was not going to be remembered in imperial history as one of the more successful campaigns. Admiral Fuyutsuki was perfectly clear on this as he stood bent over the strategic map, observing the continued fighting with growing tension. The good news was that the Huttese fleet was down on its luck, having lost its two Acclaimators and most of its Strike cruisers and Nebulon B frigates as well. Of its once staggering amount of assembled fighters, only a small portion remained, the decline hastened by the considerable amount of desertion which had occurred once it started to look bad.

However, the imperials did not fare much better. While the _Ramiel_ was still in somewhat decent shape, an enemy Strike cruiser had crashed into the _Nephilim _mere moments ago, completely annihilating it. _Grendel _and _Tyrant _were still standing, though with little more than life-support still active on both ships. Furthermore, the fighter corps had through the intense battle been reduced to a mere shadow of its former glory, Tempest and Soul's Refrain squadrons had both been all but eradicated, while the remnants of Thanatos and Shadow squad had been joined together under the leadership of Lord Vader.

'_This really can't get much worse…'_ he thought glumly and let out a tired sigh.

"Admiral, unidentified hyperspace signatures detected!" a techie alerted so suddenly the greying commander nearly jumped out of his uniform.

Fuyutsuki grimaced, there was obviously still some way left to go downhill.

"Estimate likely points of exit," he demanded, sending a number of technicians into frenzied work on their panels.

"Right above us, Sir!" a warrant officer reported.

"Sir, all batteries are armed and ready for engagement," another proclaimed.

The Alderaanean admiral nodded. "Good, open fire on my mark…"

"Sir!" another techie shouted, gaining everyone's attention. "We have received and confirmed incoming ships' code signal; it's the _Gauntlet_!"

Fuyutsuki broke into a grateful smile and fell back heavily in his chair. "Thank the Force! Get us linked up with our friends out there; we have a battle to win here!"

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Leinad Ekkru grimaced slightly as he turned his unshielded fighter towards the thick of the fighting. A nebula of debris showed where the Victory class Goliath had been just minutes before. A line of text showed up on the display board, outlining the primary targets. Leinad cleared his throat and spoke in his rough Chandrilan accent into his headpiece.

"Venom 5, split off with 6, 7 and 8. Venom 9, go with 10, 11 and 12. Both of you, cover the remaining Victory's. 2, 3 and 4, form up on my six. We're going after some of these Howlrunners and Headhunters."

The squadron split three ways, leaving Leinad with three wingmates. He was about to pick a target when an opportunity arose. Two Tie Interceptors were being harassed by a trio of Y-wings. He let a grin spread across his face; Y-wings were easy prey.

"Arm your lasers, lets shake these Y's off Lieutenant Ibuki's six."

Unknown to anyone else except him and Maya herself, Leinad had purposefully opened a private channel to the female pilot with the sole intention of flirting with her. Maya gritted her teeth as a stray ion bolt clipped her portside wing, sending her Tie into a slight spin. She righted her craft, just as a flurry of red blaster bolts shredded space just to her starboard side. Maya glanced back to see four Tie Fighters spraying the Y-wing with green laser fire. In a matter of seconds, the Y-wing's shields failed, and the fighter was blasted to shrapnel by the combined assault. Maya decreased her throttle and saw the single poisonous green stripe across the back of the cockpit. Her eyes widened in surprise.

'_Venom Squadron are HERE? She thought to herself. I thought they were stationed on board the Invincible!'_ Just at that moment, her private channel gave a spark of static and a male voice came to her ears.

"Shadow Leader, respond please."

"Shadow Leader here."

"Shadow Leader? Is that Maya Ibuki?"

"Who is this?"

The green-striped Tie Fighter flew alongside her, the other three proceeding to waste the two remaining Y-wings with the help of Maya's remaining wingmate. Evidently, the new squadron leader was seeking to impress her.

"This is Leinad Ekkru, Venom Leader."

Maya gasped. Leinad Ekkru had been a decorated Imperial war veteran for four years now, and in reward for his services had been gifted with his own squadron of modified Tie Fighters. Slightly slower than the average Tie, they carried missiles and a more sophisticated communication system, outmatched only by Darth Vader's. Rumours suggested he'd lost a golden and copper sloopship in the last six or seven months, but his record as a pilot was unblemished. Never had he lost a single ship, and only two squad members of his had ever perished in action. A small visual screen appeared, and Leinad eyed Maya appreciatively.

"I'll watch your six, Shadow Leader."

Maya smiled. Leinad was well know to be somewhat flirtatious with the female pilots, and had even made a pass on Misato Katsuragi once.

"I'll bet you will. Listen, we'll continue this later. We need to take out that Nebulon B Frigate over there."

Even as Leinad looked, a spray of green laser fire shredded two Tie Fighters escorting Lord Vader. Leinad hit the recall button on his controls. As if magnetically attracted to him, the other eleven fighters returned to formation. Leinad outlined his plan as Maya reformed Shadow Squadron.

"This is our chance to turn the battle in our favour. When Shadow Leader's ready, we'll take out the communication array on the top and hit their flight deck. That'll cause all shields to temporarily redirect to the magnetic fields, and then drop two of your four missiles into the docking arm. With any luck, that'll blow the engine off and we can...WHAT THE HELL!?!"

Leinad glared in rage as a certain gold and copper sloop, undeniably his lost ship from Malastare, zoomed past, firing at an old ARC-170. In a second, his plan changed.

"Venom 2, you're in charge of leading the attack run on the frigate Harrier. I'm gonna find what Mandalorian ass-kisser has my ship!" Banking sharply and opening fire to boot, Leinad began to chase the sloop.

"Yeehah, told you that stun pulse was nothing Hikari!" Asuka gave her comrade a cocky grin as she fired at a pair of ARC-170's, not paying close attention to their scanner. Only when the missile alert began to sound did Hikari even glance at the scope, her eyes widening in shock.

"Ummm, Asuka?"

"What is it girl?" Asuka looked slightly irritated, as she nearly had one of the ARC-170's shields down. Hikari gulped as the missiles were fired.

"We've picked up an opponent. An angry one. An angry IMPERIAL one."

"What!?" screamed Asuka. Sure enough, Venom One was blasting on full power and slowly eroding the shields. Asuka quickly opened a channel to the Ramiel. Even with her and Hikari piloting, there was no way they could outlast Venom One's onslaught. As she argued furiously with Misato, a huge explosion ran through the transport. A channel opened to the ship from the enraged Tie Fighter.

"Whoever is on my ship better have a fucking good excuse for it, or I'm gonna shove baradium so far up your ass people'll thing you've got a nosebleed."

Asuka and Hikari paused for a split second, in the middle of re-distributing shield power.

"Oh shit..."

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In the cold and slimy catacombs below the late Gargonn the Hutt's residence, a cloaked figure moved through the knee-deep river of uncleanliness that oozed from the artificial orifices which it was connected to. Strange sounds echoed inside the tunnels, sounds which would have made most people unlucky enough to hear them run away in mindless fright. The man currently traversing the passages however did not. He was fully confident with his own abilities to take down whatever monster lurked down here if they proved stupid enough to attack him. Plus, he had a very important job to do.

"Now, which way was it again?" he muttered to himself, counselling the 3D-map of the palace he had recently 'acquired'. Taking a look at the map he nodded with satisfaction, "Not too far now…" Stowing away the map, he instead brought out an egg-shaped transmitter.

"It's me," said the mysterious man, making a pause to receive his response. "Well, Gargonn is dead, but don't worry, I've installed a…'failsafe' in case this would happen…" he cut himself off as he registered a splashing sound too close for his liking. Whatever it had been did not case any further noise however.

"Nah, it was nothing. How's it with the prototypes?" The man frowned behind his canine mask as the accomplice gave his report.

"Hmm… nothing to do 'bout it I guess, try to ship out as many as you can then blow up the rest. We can't allow the imperials to get even a single one of those fighters back." There was another pause.

"Yeah, I got a copy of all the data after those imperial brats got loose and…" he fell silent as the other person spoke urgently.

"Heh, don't worry," he said reassuringly "they'll get buried with the rest of the evidence once this place goes boom. You just worry about getting those ships off to Dantooine, I've got everything covered at my end."

With that he closed the communiqué and pocketed the gadget, taking out a third device consisting of a faintly glowing disc shaped object which main feature were six numbers divided in pairs, repeatedly flashing the count of 01:00:00. The mysterious man grinned coldly behind his fearsome mask and pressed the button slowly. A soft click was heard as the countdown was activated and the numbers rapidly fell away.

"Yes, everything's covered, or will be pretty soon…"

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Captain Katsuragi Misato of the 501st legion looked over the flame-engulfed skyscrapers that had once been Nar Shaddaa. "Boy, I'd almost forgotten what these kind a things looked like…" she commented, and then wrinkled her nose at the acrid fumes that blew up from the city below. "Ugh, not too mention the _smell_." Pinching her nose, she continued to throw worried glances at the gigantic palace some miles away.

"Damn those two, what the hell could take them so long?" she thought aloud, not wanting to think of the half a dozen scenarios where the teenaged commandos would not return at all. She sighed wearily. "It doesn't get much worse than this…"

"Hey babe!"

'_And it just did…'_ Misato thought dryly and took a deep breath before replying.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" she yelled at the scruffy-looking inspector Kaji who was standing in the doorway, doing his best to look innocent, though this did not give much of a result.

"Easy now babe, I just came from the _Gauntlet_ with the rest of the reinforcements. Words have it you were in quite a pinch here, so I came to check up on you."

"What are you, a stalker?" the captain said, gave off an annoyed snort and turned away. "Anyways, we're doing just fine here as you can see, so you can just…" Turning around again to face her ex, she found the scruffy agent had secretly sneaked up just behind her and now swept her off her feet into an amorous embrace.

"T-the HELL do you think you're doing!" Misato shrieked, more out of surprise than anything else. "What if anyone sees us, do you wanna get us both in trouble?!"

Kaji smiled, completely ignoring here words, and narrowed the space between their faces. "I've really missed this," he whispered. "And I bet you have too…"

"You assume way too much" the woman said in a steady voice, yet she could feel her own resolve slowly melting away.

"Am I?" said the agent, bringing his index to gently touch her lower lip. Feeling it tremble under his touch, he gave her another smile, bent down and started leaving passionate kisses on Misato's swan-like neck, making her entire body shiver. "Hmm… couldn't it be you who assume too much?"

Misato did not answer; all too caught up in his electrifying caress which brought back memories she had thought long forgotten. Kaji took the opportunity to move up across her jaw line, planting small kisses on the way, until he arrived at her lower lip, gently sucking on it, and finally locked their mouths together completely, his tongue shooting in between her tender lips. Misato's eyes shot wide open, the entirety of the situation finally making itself known, and in one fluid motion she broke free and delivered an open blow that sent the agent staggering backwards with his ears ringing.

"That was… totally worth it…" he said with a smirk and struggled to keep his balance. Misato gave the philanderer a murderous look as she rearranged her uniform.

"One more… one more time…" she growled, pointing a furiously shaking finger at him, "One more time and I'll have you stripped of your rank and sent to Orinackra!"

"Well, I don't much mind the stripping part but…"

"Get…OUT!" the seething purple-head roared, producing her hand weapon and pointing it directly at her former lover. Kaji, being persistent but by no means stupid, fled before she decided to use it. When the automatic doors shut behind his fleeing back, Misato exhaled tiredly and holstered the gun.

"Really, that guy pisses me off…" She took out a mirror to check the damage, running her fingers over her neck. Indeed, a series of rosy marks had already begun to appear there. She quickly tightened the collar around her bruised neck. Being one of the few women to have a career in the imperial navy, this incident could tear her entire life apart if it became known. Still, she absently moved her fingertips over the lips which only a moment ago had been interlocked with his, savouring the all too familiar taste…

'_Stop that, dammit!__'_ she yelled internally and yanked the wayward limb away from her face.

Suddenly, an explosion resounding like the roll of thunder brought the captain from her private thoughts. Though she openly welcomed the distraction from her personal problems, she sincerely hoped against hope there would not be any more casualties this day. Darting towards the window, she froze in terror as she beheld the Hutt's palace being consumed by flames and starting to collapse. She backed a way from the horrible scene, and a second later she was out the door running towards the main tactics-room.

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Shinji was running the fastest he could through the ablaze and rapidly disintegrating corridors which threatened to bury him and the girl he held in his arms alive. Up until just a moment ago he had been walking rather carefully, cautious of any remaining mercenaries or escaped pets. Then he had heard an ominous rumbling noise from below, shortly followed by a deafening roar as the ground was torn apart and spewed out fire and death. That was when he started his mad dash.

Following the invisible red string in his head presented by his innate path-finding sense, the young pilot had increased his pace as much as he could, and even after body had began to voice its protests he had used the Force to boost the speed even more, soaring through the flaming corridors with the speed of sound, explosions going off everywhere around him. Walls, roofs and ground all cracked and collapsed behind him, seeking to swallow him and Rei up.

Shinji gritted his teeth. _'I won't let that happen!'_ he thought _'I'm not gonna let either of us die here!'_

Without warning a chasm opened up right in front of the boy who only stopped a second before they would have plunged to their deaths. Looking behind him the young Force adept saw the approaching inferno, a death as assured as the bottom of the pit he only narrowly had managed to avoid. Taking a chance, Shinji backed away from the edge, assembled what strength he had left and with a death-defying scream ran at full speed towards the edge and took a wide Force leap.

For a few seconds he and Rei floated in nothingness, until gravity took its toll and they began their ascent. Taking ground at the other edge, Shinji momentarily lost his footing but regained it in time to start running before the flames were able to catch up with them. Resuming his mad dash, Shinji was soon able to see the exit that would lead them to the platform, and by some whim of someone had forgot to close it which allowed for Shinji to continue his flight unhindered.

Behind him he could hear the erupting fires and explosions closing in, consuming everything in their path. Taking a final leap he jumped and rolled out through the door, which in the blink of an eye later spewed out flames like an enraged demon before melting away. Panting and with his abused legs screaming in agony, Shinji made his way inside the Requiem, now standing on very unstable ground as the platform had already started to crumble around them.

After putting Rei down as gently as he could, Shinji jumped into his own seat and though the Elixir had not filled up completely yet began focusing as hard as he could on making the Requiem take flight. Abruptly the last pieces supporting the platform disintegrated and the black fighter plunged downwards with Shinji desperately trying to calm himself enough to gain control of the ship. The ground was at least a kilometre below, but at the speed which the highly aerodynamic Requiem possessed even without motors it looked to be only seconds before they would meet a quick end.

"Come on you piece of junk, start already!" Shinji yelled desperately, pulling at the simulation handles for all he was worth. The ground was however still getting larger and larger by each passing second. "Start dammit, start! Otherwise we're both going to…!"

Finally the black craft came to life and Shinji pulled off a complete one eighty at the last possible instance, avoiding the ground with only a few metres to go and steering the starship upwards through Nar Shaddaa's airspace. The brown haired boy fell back in his seat and exhaled forcefully, his breathing shallow and his mind still a bit dazed from the massive inrush of adrenaline he had received.

"I… I did it…" he said breathlessly, taking down huge gulps of oxygen-supplying Elixir until his breathing and heart rate returned to normal.

"Requiem01, this is Imperial Ground Base, do you copy?" the communicator suddenly sounded.

Shinji did not hesitate to answer. "Yeah, I'm here."

"Glad to hear it Sir," the techie said with relief, surprising the young pilot with his use of formal register. "When the palace blew up we feared the worst, Captain Katsuragi raised quite a fuss over it."

"Um, sorry about that…" Shinji said a bit uncertainly, still trying to figure out if he had actually heard the comm. techie call him 'Sir'. "Er, you couldn't link me up with Misa- um, Captain Katsuragi? You know, just so I can tell her were safe so she won't have to worry anymore."

"That will not be necessary, Sir," came the response, "we're having the _Gauntlet_ and the 402's take care of the aftermath, you are to return to the _Ramiel _immediately. Captain Katsuragi is already on her way so she will meet you there. Watch out for enemy raids on your way back though, it seems there are still some pockets of resistance left."

Shinji nodded and switched off the comm. link, then proceeded with nailing the imaginary throttle and gaining altitude until soon the insectoid fighter was flying high above the besieged planet. Looking down on the city or at least what was left of it, the sensitive boy felt his stomach turn. What had once been a place equally full of life as his native Coruscant had now been reduced into skeletal ruins, grey ashes and glowing embers. If anything it now looked like the school holograms of Mustafar or, even more, like Coruscant had just after the devastating rebel attack. Shinji couldn't help but wonder if there was really any difference at all…

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Only a few standard galactic minutes later the Requiem was whizzing through the emptiness of space like the little bird trying to find its way home. The fighting was all over as far as Shinji could tell, and incidentally, those who had lost fighting were all over as well, though in a different sense. The still somewhat squeamish teen tried not to look too much at the disturbingly organic shapes that floated among the other debris.

"Uhhhn… Ikari… kun?" Rei spoke softly with a hint of dizziness. Shinji nearly twisted his neck when he turned to face the rousing girl.

"Ayanami, are you okay?" he asked worriedly, almost forgetting to concentrate on piloting. Rei got into a sitting position and massaged her temple lightly, the simple action almost giving Shinji yet another nosebleed.

The blue-head looked around the Requiem's cockpit with a ponderous expression. "This is the Requiem…" she stated, Shinji barely able to detect the subtle question hidden within.

"Um… you kinda passed out back there… I, um, had to carry you and…" He trailed off once Rei's eyes became directed at him.

'_T-those eyes…'_ the young boy thought, struggling not to get lost in the blood-red pools. It had not gotten any easier.

Rei continued her blank stare - no, full stare, there was not anything empty about it – until after a while she turned her eyes to look out the transparent metal of the insectoid fighter at the surrounding fleet. The cobalt eyed boy could not help but feel just slightly neglected.

'_What was that anyway…' _he thought dejectedly _'she could at least thank me right? I mean I pretty much did save her life… but maybe she got angry because I was staring… God, I hope she didn't think I was staring at her b-… ghaaah! Ikari, stop being such a pervert dammit! Right, just concentrate on the flying… just the flying…' _

Soon enough they approached the battle-scarred _Ramiel_ and after the quick identification process were led by the ship's tractor beam into its durasteel belly. The Requiem landed swiftly and quietly as always, though its appearance and the unsettling aura it generated turned quite a few heads. The first thing Shinji saw once he had landed inside the Stardestroyer's hangar and stepped out of the black fighter, was Misato Katsuragi running up to him and pulling him into a mighty bear hug.

"Shinji-kun, thank goodness you two are alright!"

"M-Misato-san… c-can't… breathe!" Shinji pleaded, his facial colour starting to match that of the captain's own hair.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that," she said and instantly released the boy who fell to his knees, wheezing out his praise to the wonderful, lifegiving air. Suddenly he hard the light tapping of bare feet on the Requiem's boarding ramp, and Shinji realised he had made a huge mistake.

'_Oh, good heavens no…!'_ he groaned internally. Hesitantly he looked up at the captain, her initial expression of shock which was rapidly being replaced by a devious grin telling all he needed to know about his immediate future.

"Shinji-kun, you stud!" Misato exclaimed in a very unprofessional way, fruitlessly trying to keep a level of sternness in her voice. "We leave you alone with a cute girl for a few hours and you have her walking around in her undies…"

"It's not…!"

"I mean wow," continued the violet-haired woman scurrilously, "just how did you manage to do that? Did you Mind-trick her or something?"

"I didn't…!"

"And she's got that dreamy look on her face too, don't tell me you…"

The sudden angry buzzing of the _Kyoko Zeppelin_ and a few TIE-fighters entering the hangar blurred out Misato's words completely, saving Shinji from knowing what kind of things the captain would accuse him of. As soon as the _Zeppelin_ had taken ground and let out its boarding plank, a very pissed off Sohryu Asuka Langley stomped down it, followed by a n uncomfortable-looking Hikari. With everyone's eyes on her, the Mandalorian princess marched up to one of the fighters and gave it a furious kick.

"Get outa that flying eyeball of yours _di'kutla__chakaar_, I've got a bone to pick with you!" she raged at the pilot inside and gave the craft another kick. The top hatch opened and a TIE-pilot wearing the skull-like mask and jet black uniform poked his head out.

"Who're you calling a grave robber you thieving bitch!" the pilot growled and removed his mask, revealing a man in about his twenties. "That's _my_ ship you've been goofing around in with that run-off-the-mill piloting of yours! Where the hell did you learn how to fly, the Drunken Mynock School of Instruction?"

"What was that!?" Asuka roared "I'm gonna rip out your tongue and shove it down your throat!"

"Geesh, keep your hair on!" the pilot said with an evil smirk "but it looks like someone took it away already." If space could convey sound Asuka's murderous shriek would have been heard in the neighbouring galaxy.

"I'm gonna kill you for that!" she vowed and started to climb the fighter. Hikari reacted quickly and took a tight grip around her rampaging friend's waist and struggled to pull her down.

"Asuka, stop it!" the freckled girl pleaded.

"Let me go, this guy deserves it! I'll kick his teeth out!"

Shinji stared in fascination at the scene. "Um… Misato-san, do you have any idea what's going on here?"

"Hm? Oh, that's Leinad Ekkru, leader of Venom squadron," Misato explained, "He's something of a legend in the fighter corps - and a real ladies' man. He came here with the other reinforcements on the _Gauntlet_. From what I've heard those two started yelling at each other the moment he spotted the _Zeppelin_.

"Why's that?"

Misato shrugged. "He claims it's his ship and that Asuka commandeered it a while ago on Malastare."

"Well, given the way she acts most of the time I wouldn't be that much surprised…" Shinji said neutrally. Then a very Misato-like grin crept to his lips. "You know, Misato-san, you almost sound like you've had some history with that guy…"

"Eh!?" squeaked the purple-haired woman and gained a little blush. "W-what do you mean, Shinji-kun, I've never seen him before in my life! Aha ha ha!"

"Whatever you say, Misato-san, whatever you say…" Shinji said with faked submissiveness.

"Hey, it's the truth!"

The brown-haired pilot smirked a little wider. _'And the score is; Shinji: 1 and Misato: 0.' _Shinji had turned back to the ongoing word-fight, savouring his victory over the captain when a soft moan by his side diverted his attention.

"Ayanami, are you okay?" he asked the girl who was looking paler than usual.

"I… I believe I may not have yet fully recovered from my spell earlier…" she said faintly and swooned a bit.

"Hold on," Shinji said and went to support her from falling over, "we'll go to the hospital wing and have Akagi-san take a look at you…" Rei just gave her signature nod in response.

"Sneaking off for some fun with your girlfriend, Shinji-kun?" Misato, recognising an opportunity for payback, hooted after them. The cobalt-eyed pilot gained a scarlet hue but refrained from answering, concentrating on getting the now slightly sweating girl to the infirmary instead.

'_Dang__, he's getting better…'_ Misato thought after the two had left and smiled broadly, _'guess I just have to improve myself a bit more.'_

On the other side of the hangar, Hikari also watched the two pilot's leave, before Asuka's continued struggling forced her to turn her attention back to the task at hand.

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"An ysalamir, huh?" Ritsuko said thoughtfully and produced a packet of cigarettes from her lab coat. "Plus some strange guy in armour swinging a lightsabre… man, do you two run into some weird stuff." She took one of the miniature cylinders and put it in her mouth, then used an igniter to set the tip aflame. The faux blonde took a few generous drafts before continuing.

"Well, Rei should be fine anyways," she said facing the now decently dressed girl. Ritsuko had had a spare uniform lying around something Shinji had been greatly thankful for since the change allowed him to look at Rei without having to pinch his nose.

'_Er… not that I'm actually looking at her all the time or anything…'_ he mentally defended himself against his own persecution.

"You still have to get plenty of rest though," Ritsuko continued, "the anti-Force bubble almost killed you Rei, so you need to recharge your batteries. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am."

Suddenly a nurse came running into the room. "Doctor Akagi!" she called out, "we have two cases that need immediate attention!"

Ritsuko nodded and got up. "Alright I'll be right there," she said and followed the nurse into another room. Shinji and Rei took this as their cue to leave as well. Outside the infirmary however, they were halted by a somewhat familiar voice.

"Ikari-kun?" Shinji turned around at the soft calling of his name and was met by a nervous looking Horaki Hikari.

"Um, Horaki-san, is something wrong?" he inquired, then remembered the 'scene' in the hangar. "Wait, don't tell me; Asuka beat that guy up like she did with Touji, right?"

Hikari's abashed look was replaced with a slightly worried one. "Actually," she said "it was more mutual with this guy…"

Shinji scratched the back of his head. "Huh?"

"Well…" the freckled girl said a bit hesitantly, "Asuka kinda slipped my grip and got up on that TIE-fighter and was going to beat that guy up - Leinad was his name, right? Anyways, Leinad got out a blaster and looked like he was going to shoot her, so I screamed, and both lost their balance and fell down. Then things got a bit complicated…"

"Eh… complicated?" Shinji echoed.

Hikari nodded. "Yeah, somehow, that guy shot himself in the foot, while Asuka broke her leg in the fall, then they began fighting on the floor, and she ended up with a dislocated arm as well." By this point Shinji was staring at the girl in a bit of an incredulous daze, and was even more shocked as he realised there was still more to come.

"Then, Leinad tried to pull her off him by her hair, and Asuka went completely crazy and started breaking his fingers and…" The approaching sound of two people doing their best to kill each other with foul language made the girl stop her tale.

"This is your fucking fault you bucket-head!" the unmistakable voice of Asuka yelled.

"My fault!" Leinad Ekkru retorted, "how the hell could that broken leg of yours be _my _fault you clumsy bitch!"

"You're the one who shot yourself in the foot!"

"But you're the one who attacked me first!"

"What, you just came out of nowhere and tried to blown up my ship!"

"I wasn't going to destroy it you idiot! It's _my_ ship!"

"Fuck off! If you hadn't made me break my leg I'd kick you in your nuts so hard you'd-…!" The last piece of that sentence was cut off as the two were brought inside the operation hall. Shinji, Rei and Hikari stood in awed silence, well, Shinji and Hikari did at least, Rei was just her normal quiet self.

"Um… that was…" Shinji ventured.

"Yeah… totally…" Hikari answered, and then gave the unaware boy a shy look. Shinji did not notice it, but Rei did, and she came to the conclusion she did not like it.

"Ikari-kun, we should hurry to report to Lord Vader," the ruby-eyed girl proclaimed.

"What? Er… okay, right!" Shinji answered meekly and started to walk after the blue haired girl when Hikari caught his arm from behind.

"Ho-ho-horaki-san!" he yelped and felt his face heat up.

"Ikari-kun, you don't have to be so formal…" the girl said entreatingly in a voice that held desperation under enough control to pass for forwardness. "I mean…" she elaborated, "you're free to call me by my first name." Shinji blinked and gained even more colour.

"Er, sure… Hi-hikari-san." The freckled Corellian beamed. Shinji suddenly had a mental image of himself landing on a giant Venus flytrap.

"I get to call you Shinji then, 'kay?" Hikari said enthusiastically, trying to ignore the cold stare from the unfortunate third party.

"K-kay…" the boy croaked. If his legs had not turned into instant Jell-O, he would have been running by now.

"Shinji-kun," Hikari said in as cute a voice she could muster. "I… I don't think I've thanked you properly for saving me on Corellia…"

"Ikari-kun, we need to be going," Rei hissed, taking a grip on Shinji's arm and pulled the boy away with her, giving Hikari such a look as would have turned stars into ice cubes.

"Er, sorry 'bout this, Hikari-san…" Shinji said apologetically, jogging lightly to keep up with Rei's speed.

"Shinji…kun…" Hikari whispered, an abandoned look on her face.

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"So, that sect is still operative?" Fuyutsuki asked the towering Supreme Commander. Vader nodded.

"The report left by my apprentices leave us no doubt," he said. "This is the work of the Jensaarai."

The aging admiral grabbed his chin in one hand and put on a ponderous face. "What I would like to know is this; how did they manage to keep themselves hidden all these years… even now it was only by sheer coincidence that we discovered their continued operation."

"Don't underestimate the power of the Force, Admiral," Vader chastised. "To conceal your presence to all but the most skilled Force-users is something even ordinary Jedi could do. And these fallen Jedi who play with the dark side are bound to be much more adept in this art."

"That brings us to another problem," continued Fuyutsuki, "if they are so good at hiding themselves, then how will we flush them out? I don't think we have the immediate resources to perform a Base Delta Zero operation…"

"My power will be enough to locate the vermin once we're in orbit," Vader rasped confidently. "Our troops will then be able to eradicate this nuisance plus secure any useful information from their archives."

"Yes my Lord," said the aging officer with a bow. "Now, concerning the assault itself…"

"Excuse me my Lord, Admiral," an unfamiliar voice spoke to the two imperials. It was a human male, like most others in the Imperial Navy, in around his twenties, with a rugged face covered by a day or so old bristle and a jovial expression that would bring most women to their knees. He sported a pony-tail that, together with the rest of the man, stood in such sharp contrast to the orange-brown uniform he wore that it almost hurt your eyes.

"And you are?" Vader asked the unshaven man.

"Inspector Kaji Ryoji of Imperial Intelligence," Kaji said neatly. "I was reassigned here along with other staff and material to compensate for the _Ramiel's_ losses during the battle."

"Well then Inspector Kaji, was there something you wanted?" Fuyutsuki asked. The Intel-officer sent a swift glance in the direction of Darth Vader.

"I have these reports for all the data recovered from Gargonn the Hutt's palace, Sir," he said quickly and handed a pair of triangular discs to the admiral.

"Thank you, inspector," said Fuyutsuki politely. "Was there anything else?"

"No Sir, I will return to my other duties now." With that the pony-tailed man walked away to one of the terminals.

"There's something amiss with this inspector…" Vader pondered aloud, earning an inquisitively raised brow from the admiral.

"What do you mean?" he inquired, "the man seemed decent to me at least, except for that dreadful style of his, though if you are unsure I could always have him questioned…"

"No, that will not be necessary," the cyborg said after a moment's thought. "Carry on with the preparations for our next endeavour."

Fuyutsuki shrugged. "As you wish my Lord," he said and opened a comm. link.

"Captain Katsuragi."

"Yes Sir?" the younger woman answered from her quarters.

"We are leaving orbit in forty-eight hours, make sure the necessary preparations are made until then."

"Will do Sir" the violet-haired captain ascertained and closed the link, presumably to get to work right away.

As Fuyutsuki and Vader continued to plan the assault on the Jensaarai base, Kaji grinned smugly to himself by his terminal. _'Yeah,'_ he thought_ 'two days will be all I need for plan B…'_

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Around fifty standard hours later, the _Ramiel _was traversing the greyness of hyperspace in order to get to its new target, Susevfi, the base of the elusive Jensaarai defenders. Repairs on the ship had been extensive, yet the tight schedule forced upon the techies and engineers at work with it had left the Stardestroyer at only about seventy percent capacity. But as Darth Vader put it, they only needed to _get_ there in one piece; any fighting would be conducted on the planet surface.

Shinji was currently lying half awake in his bed and trying to pass time by levitating the large Krayt dragon pearl above his head. It was actually rather fun to have it move at his slightest whim, faster or slower, up, down and to the sides, all the time exploring its delicate features with his thoughts. Its surface was pure white and smooth like silk, yet to the touch it was cool and hard. After willing the pearl return to his open palm the young pilot heaved a sigh.

'_Not unlike someone I know…'_ he mused to himself and ran his thumb over the gem's surface.

'_It warms up if you keep working on it…__' _the boy observed after a while, _I wonder if she will too?'_

Shinji let out another huff of air and sat up in his bed. The room was dark with only a silvery light-sphere providing some scarce illumination, though it actually only succeeded in making the room look darker, and the shadows deeper and more alive. All of a sudden Shinji blinked. He could have sworn he had actually seen one of the shadows act more alive than a shadow should be allowed to. For example, he was most certain that the shadow had been _looking_ at him.

With a sudden shrill cry a skeletal being suddenly jumped, or rather drifted out in front of the boy. Shinji stared into the small points of red light within the deep sockets, and then he started screaming himself, running straight for the door and out into the maze-like corridors, the spectral entity quick to follow after its intended victim.

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When Rei woke up, the first thing she saw was a gaunt and grinning figure that floated over her bed. It was impossibly tall and thin, almost skeletal in appearance with vicious black claws on its two hands and dressed in tattered rags that looked like they had been scavenged from an ancient tomb. Its hair was long and white and floated around its skull-like head in silvery waves that framed the red eyes and face Rei somehow found to be oddly alike her own.

"Who are you?" she inquired.

A dark light flared for an instance within the creature's eyes and suddenly Rei was hit with full power by a telepathic scream that defied any other definition than having her skull penetrated by billions of sharp needles. The alizarin-eyed girl howled out in pain, thrashing out of her bed to cower on the cold floor as the being's attack intensified and she was brought to the brink of loosing herself into the abyss of mindless terror.

"N-…no…" she gasped asudden, surprising her ghostly assailant into lightening its attack for an instance. That was all the time she needed. Presenting her open palm to the creature she unleashed a shockwave of Force energy which hit it head on, blasting the spectral being into the wall with a sickening sound of crushing bones. It sagged down to the floor without any sign of injury though it was quite obviously dead. Staring intently at the corpse, Rei beheld with scientific amazement how it began to fade, eventually disappearing entirely.

Without a word the girl then returned to the side of the bed and opened her drawer to collect her personal communicator. She found it lying on the neatly folded pieces of the 'slave-girl outfit' as Ritsuko had put it. For a moment she pondered on why she had kept the highly impractical garment, but reminding herself there were more important things at hand she tried to make contact with the bridge with her communicator. She only received a static buzz. The next logical thing to do was thus to make contact in some other way. Seconds later she was walking the dark corridors of the _Ramiel_ towards the bridge.

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Not ten minutes later Rei entered bridge and found that the entire ship had been put on red alert status. Apparently, the aliens known to some as 'Starweirds' had appeared all over the _Ramiel_ attacking people at their leasure. Lord Vader was now leading the defence operation, and as such had gone with one of the search parties that would root out the 'infestation'. Holding the reins in his absence was as always Fuyutsuki and Misato, in charge of the ship itself and the remaining troops respectively.

"Ah, Rei, good to see you're alive," Misato said with a nod in the girl's direction, "did you run into any of those things?"

"One attacked me in my room, I was not injured" Rei said so calmly as to make Misato shudder.

'_She's so calm it__'s almost… unnatural!'_ she thought.

"Captain!" a warrant officer called out, "The Starweirds are moving! They… they're coming right at us!"

"Battlestations!" Misato barked and was instantly obeyed, what crewmembers could be spared taking up their arms and pointing them at the enforced blast-doors. No-one thought of sealing the doors, since at least three of the attacks had described the Starweirds as capable of moving through solid matter. That was one of the reasons everyone was surprised when the door suddenly opened and a very sweaty, very exhausted and _very_ scared Ikari Shinji barged in.

"T-they're everywhere!" he yelled nearly hysterically, "I-I've been running from them for at least thirty minutes but they don't give up and…!"

"Shinji-kun, get _down_!" Misato shouted urgently.

The boy looked puzzled for a second. "Huh?" he said, and then foolishly looked behind him where ten or more Starweirds were approaching with leering faces and claws outstretched.

"Ghaaaah!" the boy yelled in fright and hit the floor faster than a clobbered rancor. Misato wasted no time to give the fire-at-will signal.

"Take those bastards down before they get too close!" she called out while firing her own gun like crazy.

Having recouped somewhat after the shock Shinji ventured to look up, and once again met the very unfriendly face of a Starweird who was just about to sink its claws into him. Even before he had time to scream however, Rei seemingly out of nowhere jumped into the mass of spectral bodies, hacking at the non-corporeal aliens with her blood-red blade. Shinji stood up and got his own sabre out.

"T-thanks!" he stammered, still in a bit of a fright but feeling quite reassured by Rei's serene presence. The girl in question did not answer, but Shinji had started to think about that silence as an answer in itself. Without further talk he thus helped the girl out with battling the Starweirds.

The young darksider wielded his blade in wide sweeps, partly trying to cause as much damage to the targets but also, though he did not really want to admit it, as a means of keeping them at least two arms length away from him. Rei did not display the same uncertainty or nervousness with the unorthodox enemy, her own acrobatic form still highly useful against these creatures as well.

Misato and her troopers were now merely just a support team for the Rei-Shinji combo, as while their guns would harm the Starweirds, the teens had far greater chances of actually hitting the targets. Thus vastly overpowered, the frightening aliens were easily fought down one by another. Yet, the way in which they died, soundlessly and without leaving as much as a pile of dust behind, was truly unnerving for the majority of the crew. Most of them would have recurring nightmares about this endeavour for years to come.

When the Starweirds finally all lay dead, or at least had vanished after receiving a fatal wound, which was the second best thing, Shinji noticed the man known as Kaji, who he had not seen in before due to the calamity, moving discretely towards the exit in the way a man moves when he does not want anyone to notice it. Just as he was about to walk up to the man and ask what the sneaking was all about, Misato caught him in a crushing embrace, squeezing out most coherent thoughts.

"Shinji-kun I was sooo worried about you!" the purple head said with motherly affection.

"Captain Katsuragi, release Ikari-kun," Rei proclaimed evenly. Misato smirked.

"Oh yeah, I forgot he's your territory Rei," she said jovially but did not let go of the struggling boy.

Rei gave the captain an odd look. "I was referring to that you are depriving him of air, Captain," she said in an explanatory tone.

"Huh?" Misato said and looked down at Shinji's face that was buried in her bosom. It was blue with a shade of purple and pink. "Ah! Sorry, Shinji-kun!" she exclaimed and promptly released him. While the young pilot was panting for air, no-one noticed that for a second Rei had a quite definite air of satisfaction around her.

Another thing which went largely unnoticed in the released tension all about the ship was one inspector Kaji who was proceeding through the long hallways, muttering below his breath and looking at a miniature disc. The label on the disc read; _Ultrasonic Music For All Tastes_.

"Darnit, are those kids invincible or what? Guess I have to come up with a plan C…" he growled and shambled away to his quarters.

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"This is a most disturbing turn of events," Fuyutsuki noted calmly as he surveyed the report in his hand. It was the day after the Starweird attack, and while everyone was still on edge for a second assault, things had to be run professionally.

"I say!" exclaimed Misato who was walking beside the elderly officer, "Did you see how those things moved? They just flew through the crinkin' air… and those claws!" the purple-head made a shudder "every time I close my eyes I see them coming through the wall. I won't be having a good night's sleep any time soon I tell you..."

"That was not exactly what I was thinking about, Captain," Fuyutsuki interrupted. Misato stared at him.

"Eh? You mean you know of something more disturbing than _ghosts that live in space and attack Stardestroyers_?" The greying admiral did not comment on the blatant sarcasm of the junior officer.

"Starweirds only rarely appear, Captain," he explained patiently. "Whenever they've done so, their target has always been small critically damaged ships in the middle of nowhere, _never_ a fully operational vessel of war." Misato stared at him.

"So what, maybe they've just found out the joy of killing on a larger scale? I mean, it's not like you could somehow train those things into attacking people or something, right?"

Fuyutsuki looked thoughtful. "I suppose you are right Captain. Though this incident still bugs me…"

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Despite the general fears and superstition of the crew, the _Ramiel_ did not suffer any more mishaps or strange attacks for the remainder of the time it took to reach Susevfi. Thus, two days after the mysterious Starweird attack, Shinji found himself in a _Theta_-class transport together with the silent Rei and the equally quiet Darth Vader. There were also a fair number of _Kappa_-classed shuttles carrying the 501sts down to the dry planet.

'_Well, at least we don't have to worry about getting shot down before we land…'_ the boy thought, trying to keep his mood up in the oppressive silence. According to the scans made, the Jensaarai did not have any aerial defence, probably because they thought they did not need any. Aside from the safer trip, this also had the advantage of letting the young Force-adept take a good look at the planet they were going to invade.

Susevfi was one great savannah with only small lakes scattered about its surface to give its inhabitants their fresh water. The rest of the surface was covered in grass more or less, singular trees and even small groves generally cropping up around the waterholes and lakes. The imperial strike force was however headed for a less inviting part of the planet, with more mountains and some rather deep ravines and canyons. As they flew over the rocky areas, the transport shuttles began to fold up their wings and take ground just some hundred metres away from one of the larger canyons.

The three darksiders stood up and swiftly exited the craft with Darth Vader taking the lead. Shinji blinked a few times to make himself used to the bright light on this world, yet as soon as he had regained his sight, the young pilot was awed by the sight of the over a hundred stormtroopers who pooled out in the landing area and arranged themselves into perfect formations behind the menacing cyborg. Vader waited until his troops were all accounted for and gave the marching order. Three hundred footsteps sounded at once as the troopers obeyed their lord, their thundering steps doing a better job than any war-drums in the galaxy could.

The imperial force entered the ravine without encountering any resistance, causing Shinji to look about him in search for hidden ambushers. Hewn out of the canyon walls themselves, the buildings looked for most part to be little more than redecorated caverns. One part of the cliff wall harboured a set of steep stairs and many terraces that led up to what had to be the main temple entrance. Around forty stormtroopers accompanied Lord Vader and his apprentices as they climbed the temple staircase while the rest of the plastoid-armoured soldiers filed out and entered the surrounding caves and structures.

Shinji was a little out of breath when they reached the highest terrace and the huge portal which led into the Jensaarai temple, but his dark master showed no such fatigue and pressed on, forcing the boy to do the same. As for Rei, at first glance it would have seemed she was just as untouched by the brisk climb as the mighty cyborg walking beside her, however, after taking a brief peek at the girl, Shinji noticed how her breathing had increased somewhat.

'_Guess she's just better at keeping appearance…'_ he thought as the troupe marched into the oppressive darkness of the temple.

The forty stormtroopers split up in smaller squads and spread out into the smaller corridors in search of the elusive enemy, while the three darksiders, now alone, continued towards the very centre of the sanctuary. They entered a spacious and circular room which was only illuminated by tiny red lightpanels that cast a strange light on the heavily decorated pillars that stood along the walls.

"Master," Shinji said with apprehension "I have a bad feeling about this…"

Suddenly a loud rumbling sound was heard behind them and turning around they were just in time to see their only way out being blocked by a massive stone door. Several cruel laughs echoed inside the circular room, as no less than twelve fully armoured Jensaarai warriors stepped out from behind the columns, the light from their lit lightsabres of various designs providing them all with ghostlike auras.

"You should trust your feelings more boy!" jeered one of the cultists, a female judging from her voice.

"It was a trap!" Shinji exclaimed as he wearily eyed the approaching enemies.

"One they will regret having set," Vader answered calmly.

"We'll see about that!" said one Jensaarai and removed his helmet, revealing the donkey like head of a Svivreni. The stout warrior took only a second of preparation before throwing himself at Darth Vader at an impressive speed, spinning his purple blade like a shield in front of him.

"Don't!" one of his comrades warned, but his words fell on deaf ears, the Svivreni continuing his run without any signs of slowing down.

When the muscular Jensaarai was only a few feet away from his goal however, Vader lift his palm and in one swift motion Force Pushed the unfortunate warrior into one of the nearest pillars The Svivreni bleated in surprise as he soared through the air, his scream reaching an abrupt end as he hit the hard rock with a disgusting crushing sound. The lifeless body sagged slowly to the ground with an empty gaze and limbs that stood out in weird angles.

"All too easy…" the dark lord commented disdainfully.

"You bastard!" shouted one of the warrior-cultists.

"We're gonna kill you for that!" another cried.

"You are welcome to try," Vader sneered.

A huge Jensaarai in a heavy black armour and a bestial mask somewhat like a rancor roared and stomped towards the Sith like a frenzied reek with twin yellow blades held to the sides. Two more Jensaarai followed their comrade to give support, one a reptavian Xamster in a really weird dianoga inspired armour armed with a long lightsaber-cane, as well as a woman in a tasteful yet deadly interpretation of a pylat bird's form wielding a single silvery blade.

While the rancor-masked Jensaarai did not sway from his path to literally pummel Darth Vader, Shinji saw the Xamster and bird-mimicking woman taking to the left and right, intent on rushing the Sith from two separate directions, though this all happened too fast for Shinji or even Rei to react to any of it. Only a nanosecond later, the rancor armoured man was using his two sabres as a makeshift pair of scissors, aiming to cut Vader in two.

"We have you now!" he roared and threw himself at Vader, blades between them, with a force that would have knocked just about anyone over. That is, with the exception of Darth Vader.

The bestial warrior as well as his reptavian and female companions, both stunned from shock, stared in disbelief as they the powerful attack being easily blocked by the Sith's own blade which had finally been activated. For one second his opponent hesitated, and that was all he time Vader needed.

"Correction," he spoke, "_we_ are the ones who have _you_ now."

Even before the words had left his artificial voice cords, the mighty darksider pushed the Black-beast Jensaarai back using his immense strength, and soon started raining blows on the increasingly desperate warrior. The Xamster and the bird-armoured Jensaarai both regained their selves and ran to assist their friend, but were both blocked by the other two darksiders; Shinji and Rei. None of the two factions wasted any time with useless talk, getting straight to the aggressive negotiations.

The reptavian Rei ended up fighting proved to be about as lithe and acrobatic as the alizarin eyed darksider herself, the only real difference being the Jensaarai possessing the ranged advantage with his cane. After the first locked state that had lasted less than five seconds, they were now leaping and doing other near-impossible physical feats as the danced a mutual dance of hatred and death. They would fly at each other at high speed, clash like two bolts of thunder, and then jump away again, all the time keeping a weary eye on the opponent in an attempt to predict his/her next move.

With a one-on-one sabre combat on his hands, Shinji should have been in a similar position as Rei in a fight on equal grounds. However, the fight was in fact quite uneven, with Shinji receiving the short end of the stick. His adversary proved to be just as fast in her blade movements as Rei was at her best, and at times the young darksider could not even make out the pylat-armoured woman's arms in her lightning fast attacks and feints. Needless to say, Shinji played a hard game just to keep himself alive.

However, after a few minutes of hard fighting, Shinji learned to recognise a few of the woman's most used attack patterns, and using this as a foundation, managed to not exactly gain the upper hand, but making the duel a bit easier on himself. A bonus was that his opponent seemed to never have expected this sudden change in the boy, which gave him an element of surprise and threw the bird-warrior into confusion.

Meanwhile, the remaining eight Jensaarai stood agape at the scene before them; just staring at the fierceness of the three simultaneous battles witch forced both sides to their limits, with a possible exception for the black demon Darth Vader.

"What are you doing?" one of them suddenly called out to her brethren. "Forget about the kids, but we need to bring down the Sith, our vengeance calls for it!" The other cultists let out a joint battle-cry in response and as one charged at the cyborg. Vader looked up from his current prey, the black Jensaarai who was leaning on a pillar and clutching the wounds the dark Lord had given him.

"Hm?" Vader grunted in mild surprise at the angry mob approaching him, and with one swift motion beheaded the black armoured Jensaarai. He then turned to the oncoming warriors, now even more enraged at the death of another friend, and raised his gloved hand up towards them. With a deafening BOOM he released a Force Wave that sent super-sound ripples through the air and swept the Jensaarai away like straws in the wind.

"This is barely worth the effort," he said with a discordant sigh, but then an ominous cracking sound filled the dimly lit room, bringing everyone's attention to it.

Shinji turned towards the sound and beheld with mounting horror that his master's Force power had not just neutralized the enemy, but taken with it a good part of at least three pillars which now creaked and groaned in agony as they slowly but surely began to collapse. The huge columns of rock suddenly came down like enormous wroshyr trees upon darksiders and Jensaarai alike. With a mighty crash the pillars shattered the temple ground, opening up a huge crack to the levels below. The gap grew fast and started to devour the entire room.

Rei just barely managed to jump onto a safe edge, while the Xamster she had fought was among the four Jensaarai that fell down the hole. She looked around the wrecked room, and saw Shinji hanging on for dear life on a piece of rock that wiggled dangerously. As the boy struggled to pull his own weight onto safer ground, the stone he had held onto gave way completely, causing the darksider to fall haplessly into the great darkness below.

The alizarin-eyed girl experienced a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She took swift glance towards Vader and the remaining Jensaarai, then one down the dark abyss whence Shinji had disappeared. It only took her a few moments thought before she took a nimble jump down the hole after her lost comrade.

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To his own great surprise Shinji realised he was not dead. Even more surprising, he had managed to land perfectly in a crouching position, bringing whatever injuries he might have sustained to a minimum. His amazement over having survived a thirty feet fall or more with little other than some cuts and bruises was soon replaced however by the unwelcome revelation that he had not been alone in his fall.

Arranged in a half circle and pointing their sabres at the imperial were four of the Jensaarai, who had had more time than Shinji to recuperate after the fall. The young darksider quickly got into full battle stance and activated his sabre, already feeling the beads of sweat materialising on his forehead and the adrenaline pumping in his veins. From what he could tell he was the only one out of the three imperials to fall into the crack formed by the collapsing pillar, and now he would have to face up against four skilled, not to say well-armoured, opponents.

'_Man, this sucks…'_ he commented glumly. The closest Jensaarai stepped forward. This one was clad in purple-green, Hssiss-inspired armour with a singular horn upon the helmet and wielded an emerald green sabre.

"You really think you can beat us?" he asked, taking a few additional steps and swinging his yellow sabre in an idle way. "One as obviously unskilled as you probably wouldn't stand a chance even against an apprentice, why do you even bother?"

Shinji did not answer the taunts, ignoring them as well as he could. He could not afford to loose his focus in this situation. _'Keep calm Ikari, he's just trying to mess with your head, just like lord Vader does during training…'_

"Not the talking kind, eh?" another Jensaarai taunted, this one sported a white, slightly cetacean armour without any visible eyes but with a pair of grotesquely big and red lips. He possessed a strange type of forked lightsabre, with one main blade and a shorter protruding at an angle from the base of the main beam.

"Well, that suits us just fine," the dragon-jensaarai told his friend and crouched down a bit to prepare for a high speed attack. Shinji could practically _see_ the smug grin on his face, even though it was covered by the purple mask. "'Cause we've been waiting quite a while for a moment like this. Now, prepare to die!"

In the blink of an eye the warrior closed the space between himself and Shinji who managed to catch the attack only by a hair. At the same moment the other Jensaarai made their moves, forcing Shinji to break out of his lock with the purple dragon as fast as he could. He spun his own sabre into a reverse hold and barely blocked the Xamster's attack coming from his left, then grabbed the hilt two-handily and did likewise with the white Jensaarai who came from the right. Shinji took a leap backwards to get some breathing space, but a nanosecond later was forced back even more in order to avoid an overhead attack from the woman in pylat armour.

'_Man, this is looking bad…'_ he thought dryly, diving to the side when the dragon and white Jensaarai launched two assaults at once, though their weapons only struck the innocent rock. Shinji had to continue rolling however since the reptavian and the bird-woman also launched their attacks one after another. Though none of their strikes hurt the imperial badly, when he came back to his feet he was covered in narrow burn marks.

"Stop running away, coward!" the female Jensaarai yelled and made several wide sweeps at the imperial.

"No way!" Shinji retorted and jumped onto a boulder to gain higher ground.

Instead he was nearly impaled by the unicorn dragon's sabre, only by chance did he turn around just in time to avoid it. Crossing blades with the other force-user, Shinji was getting quite peeved by the fast deteriorating situation and his anger gave him a slightly extra edge in his first offensive attacks. For a moment it seemed like his purple-green adversary was faltering, but at a moments notice he spun around and kicked the darksider in the chest with an enforced boot. Shinji yelped and staggered backwards, gasping to regain the air that forcefully had been beaten out of him. This gave his opponent an opportunity to slash the boy over his right shoulder, creating a rather deep and painful gash.

"Yaargh!" Shinji called out and clutched the singeing wound. He gave the Jensaarai a murderous look, feeling how his anger was reaching boiling point and made a strike himself, aiming at his opponents abdomen. The purple fighter however made a one-eighty and easily blocked the attack, laughing mockingly at the ill-coordinated offence. Shinji growled in response and felt a familiar tingling in his fingertips.

"Like we said," the purple-green Jensaarai hooted, "you're a total looser!"

Shinji gritted his teeth and let go of his sabre with his left hand. "Shut… your fucking mouth…UP!" he screamed, releasing a shock of blue lightning at the dragon-warrior. This tried desperately to block the bolts with his sabre, but was still subjugated to a fair number of them, forcing him to his knees.

The enraged imperial stepped forward and raised his hand for another attack, when he a sharp blow to the back off his head made him fall off the boulder and onto the sharp rubble below, just beside the other three cultists. Looking up he saw the white Jensaarai with the sickening grin flash his ivory teeth.

"Come on, get up!" he called out, lifting the stunned teen several feet off the ground with the Force, then when he thought Shinji was up high enough let go off him completely, letting the boy fall sqarely on his face. Shinji groaned as his abused ribs cracked dangerously.

"Hey, I said get up, didn'tcha hear?" White said cheerfully, jumping down from the rock and landed a flying kick to the boy's face. Shinji tried to get up slowly, coughing and spitting blood while trying to breathe with his compressed lungs.

"Wow, you're a though one!" White said with mock admiration. "Let's see if you can still stand after this!" He swiftly made a cut across the chocolate-haired darksider's both legs, cutting through soft tissue but without severing any bones. Shinji dropped to the ground once more, but could with the pain in his chest only manage to voice a whining sound as tears of misery and humiliation welled up in his eyes.

"Alright, enough," said the female suddenly, grabbing White's shoulder.

"What, you're taking this bastard's side?! He fucking _zapped _me!" the unicorn dragon growled angrily and jumped down to join the rest. The bird-armoured amazon shook her head.

"I'm not taking his side, but this is not the way we should do things," she explained calmly, not once looking in the manhandled darksider's direction. She followed up with an impatient snort. "Just kill him already and let us return to the others, they might need our help with the Sith."

"Hmph, well you're no fun," said the Hssiss-armoured man and positioned his blade just over Shinji's heart. "We'll see ya in Hell dude!"

The young pilot stared in fear at the glowing blade ready to end his life. He tried to squirm away but the agony he was in effectively hindered any ambitious moves. Besides, with trashed ribs and wounded legs, how could he possibly fight back even if he did avoid the coup de grace? Coming to reluctant terms with what seemed to be his fate, he shut his eyes tightly closed and sincerely hoped that the guy was good enough not to make a mess of his execution…

"Ikari-kun!" To Shinji, the voice sounded like lunar light reflecting through the darkness.

His eyes shot open, growing to the size of saucers. "Ayanami?" he gasped. The girl jumped down lightly on the boulder where Shinji had just had his short and unfortunate. She stayed for a moment to take in her surroundings, and then she took the final jump to ground level, landing right in front the four Jensaarai. The warriors stared at her in bewilderment.

"What the Hell's this? His girlfriend or something?" said White and pointed with his forked sabre at the girl. The avian amazon shrugged indifferently.

"Who cares? Let's just kill her, okay?" she said indifferently, reactivating her own silvery sabre.

"Understood" said the reptavian, closing his eyes for a moment. Both imperials blinked when thousands of pin-head sized rocks shot up from the ground and stopped in mid air. The dianoga-armoured Xamster grinned as he moved the stones around freely with the Force.

"This… is called Force Ballistics, Dark One," he told the imperial girl. "You are quite lucky that you get to see this secret technique before you die…" With a sudden movement of one claw, the Jensaarai literally shot the pebbles at Rei, who screamed as the tiny rocks pierced through her uniform and flesh in over a dozen places all over her body.

"Ayanami!" Shinji called out, coughing up more blood. This earned him a heavy purple-green boot being brought down over his throat.

"Oh, just shut up will ya?" the dragon-man said in a bored voice. "This won't take too long…"

Shinji was forced to look as the reptavian launched salve after salve of the near microscopic missiles at Rei, who had sustained an alarming amount of deep cuts after just two or three attacks. The girl had brought out her sabre, but it gave her only a slight protection even when she spun it around at maximum velocity. Since the rocks were too small and way too fast they easily penetrated even this defence. Shinji struggled against the weight on his neck and the pain in his chest to get up and somehow help the girl, but the dragon-jensaarai only pressed him down harder.

"Why can't you just give up already?" he asked, putting more effort into making the persistent kid to stay down.

"A-… aya-… nami…" Shinji croaked, and felt his world growing dim as the pressure increase even more. He heard his captor say something more, but his light-headedness caused everything to come to him as blurred shades or faint echoes. In his prolonged shortage of oxygen, he even thought he imagined Rei's eyes starting to glow just before he passed out.

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Rei saw Shinji fight beneath the Hssiss-armoured Jensaarai, writhing and squirming for all he was worth despite his injuries. It was a foolhardy, even downright imbecilic effort, as the only thing it would accomplish was making him suffer more and perhaps die the faster.

'_Perhaps that is his intention?'_ she asked herself, juts as another dose of pebbles came zooming at her. They hit her like a swarm of piranha-beetles, tearing at her pal skin and boring into her flesh, slowly but surely ripping her into shreds. When the pain momentarily passed before the next assault, she managed to hear what Shinji was saying, or trying to say at least.

"A-… aya-… nami…"

Rei's eyes widened only slightly, the Ayanami version of a shocked gasp, and suddenly she felt a fire build up inside her. This was not her normal battle spirit however, but one that burnt and chilled at the same time, just as it brought both dull pain and subtle pleasure… it was the seething flames of fear, it was the burning fire of hate, it was the all consuming inferno known as the very essence of darkness.

Without warning Rei let out a maddened shriek of uncontrollable rage, a cry which would have terrified even the legions of Chaos, as her eyes flared bright crimson with a fire that burned away her pupils and replaced them with a deep void that seemed to promise unimaginable suffering to any who looked upon them. The Xamster abruptly halted his assault and swiftly cowered away towards his companions. All four of them looked at the girl in mortal terror.

The crazed girl let out another Force Rage battle cry, and attacked the nearest enemy without restraint. The reptavian warrior made a desperate attempt to fend off the darksider, throwing everything he had at her with his telekinetic abilities, but Rei mercilessly battered down his defence within seconds, swiftly cutting off both his arms. Ignoring his shrill cries of torment she proceeded to his legs, chopping them off one at a time, and finally his body, slicing off huge chunks until but a bloody mass remained. The dead Jensaarai's brethren stared in terror at the horrible scene and backed a way from the azure-haired demon.

Rei redirected her glowing orbs to the white armoured one, the fire of her eyes glowing with bloodlust. The white Jensaarai fumbled backwards then made turned around abruptly and screamed as he tried to make a run for it. This time around however, the navy locked darksider did not even bother to use her blade, instead using the small of her left hand to make slicing motions in the air, which appeared as deep wounds on the shocked warrior's back. The Jensaarai howled out in pain and fell face first to the ground, spasming in agony and screaming as Rei's continued the shower of Force Wound attacks. After a few intense moments of slice 'n' dicing, the warrior finally stopped convulsing and lay dead in a pool of his own bodily fluids.

"Y-you bitch!" the purple-green Jensaarai shouted, fear being turned to courage as he charged the girl head on.

Rei, who appeared strangely calm even in while in the middle of her berserker fury, almost apathetically threw her lightsabre at a low angle towards the onrushing warrior. In one clean swipe it chopped off his legs, just as had been done to his comrade a few moments ago. The green and purple Jensaarai fell on his back, groaning and gritting his teeth in pain. Rei silently walked up to him and first seemed like she was going to pass him by, but as she did landed a swift cut that separated the man's head from the rest of his dismembered body. She turned to look at the last opponent.

The pylat armoured woman had assumed a thoughtful pose. "Hmmm, so this is the power of Force Rage is it?" she wondered aloud in a satin-like voice, "Kinda impressive, but I think you're about to reach your limit now aren't you?" The red eyed girl blinked. It was true; the great blaze in her chest was waning even now, draining her of energy. The Jensaarai took off her beaked helmet and smiled.

"Thought so," she said triumphantly, taking a left handed hold of her sabre and brought out what looked like another sabre from her belt. "Still, I don't think you're the type to go down easily, unlike these boys right? So I guess I have to use my special toy on you." She activated the hilt, and forth sprang a long, snakelike silvery coil that extended well over seven feet.

Rei could not help but stare at the lightwhip that moved snakelike in its wielder's grip. She had only ever heard of it in her master's lectures as a weapon nearly impossible to master, but by the way her enemy handled it, it was in the possession of one of the very best. Plus, the added strength of an extra lightsabre would make this Jensaarai several times more dangerous than any of her brethren that Rei had fought. This woman would probably even have given lord Vader a fight to remember.

'_This will be most… difficult…'_ the young girl thought. _'Yes… there is not even a sixty percents chance of victory…'_ at this point every single part of Rei's training commanded her to fall back before this enemy, but in that case… _'… Ikari-kun will most likely not be spared…'_

"What's the matter girlie, mynock got your tongue?" the Jensaarai asked and tapped her foot impatiently. "I was going to give you a fighting chance, because that's how I am, but if you're just going to stand there then I'll just have to come for you!" With a crackling sound the woman swung her whip at Rei, who neatly caught the attacks with her own ruby-red sabre.

The Jensaarai smiled again. "_Now_ you're talking girle!" she exclaimed enthusiastically, cracking her whip a few times in the air before aiming at the imperial once more. Rei quickly jumped out of the way from the lethal strap of energy. The woman looked slightly disappointed.

"Oh come on, is that all you can do? Don't tell me I overestimated you…" Laughing in high spirits, she now threw her conventional sabre in Rei's direction, the pole of silvery light making a _whum-whum-_ing sound as it spun just over the girl's head. Seconds later, the blade came back at Rei in a boomerang-like fashion, chasing after her legs. She swiftly took a leap in the air as the blade passed by, but was forced to duck just as quickly when another attack of the whip came.

'_Using her whip as a distraction while making use of a sabre throw attack…'_ Rei analyzed as she rolled away from said whip and landing behind a sizeable rock, witching off her lightsabre.

"Oh, are you afraid of my whip girlie?" the woman jeered and let the glowing strap lick at the edges of the imperial girl's very temporary shield. Behind it, Rei frowned.

'_This is a version of Dun Möch…'_ she observed, _'however…she has still to use any telekinetic projectiles…'_ In that precise moment, Rei realised that the whipping of the rock had stopped, and her instincts told her that this place was not any good for hiding any more…

The stone erupted into billions of small shards that scattered over the entire cavern with the speed of greased lightning. Rei peaked out from her new hiding place, another rock and saw what had caused the rock to shatter so completely. The Jensaarai was using the same technique as the Xamster had, levitating small pebbles and throwing them away at n extremely high velocity. Apparently, it was strong enough to shatter boulders.

'_A perfect defence and a perfect offence… this person is really…'_ the red-eyed girl mused grimly. _'All of her attacks are lethal… one hit means instant death… however, there must be a weak point.'_ She gazed intently at the woman, now blowing up rocks left and right with the Force Ballistics in order to find her prey, and suddenly, Rei felt certain that she had found the weak point, though there was of course the problem of getting close enough.

Rei began to concentrate on cloaking her presence as much as possible. Even though she could not become invisible as such, she was still quite able to go undetected… provided her target was not extremely skilled in finding entities hidden in the force. Still, there was no choice if she hoped to defeat the Jensaarai at this stage. Finishing her cloaking, Rei stealthily crept out from her hiding place and sneaked up to the unaware enemy.

'_A few more steps…'_ she thought, carefully taking out the hilt of her blade and pressing the activation button ever so lightly. _'Just… one… more… step.'_

"And what do you think you are doing?" the woman asked calmly. Rei instantly stopped in mid-step. "Yes, I know you're there… now come out like a good little girl…'

In an instant Rei ignited her weapon and fiercely thrust it at her opponent's back. However, in the same amount of time the Jensaarai spun around and made a cut that would cleave Rei in half over her stomach. Time froze, and the two females stared at each other with hate burning in their eyes, fuelled by the great burning of the other's blade in their bodies. Rei's eyes once more began to glow bright red, and she gritted her teeth and hissed as she stubbornly pressed her blade inch by inch further into her enemy's chest.

The Jensaarai raised her right hand jerkily, and Rei felt the growing Force that was trying to bush her away. She growled and felt an unfamiliar tingling in her fingertips, blue sparks dancing over her nails. Without any hesitation, she grabbed with one free hand the woman's right hand. The bird-warrior stared at the blue sparks that grew in the contact, feeling as if her skin was about to burn up. She gave Rei a frightened look.

"No, no you can't!" she pleaded, but Rei only met her plea with an entirely blank look. The power of the sudden bolt of blue lightning hit the woman with such force that she would have been knocked back several feet and slammed into the rocky wall if she was not skewered on the merciless darksider's sabre. Small coils of lightning travelled all over her body, discharging into the air with low cracking sounds. The woman began to cry.

"P-please d-don't k-kill me!" she begged. Rei just gave her another indifferent look, and launched another bolt of lightning, completely roasting the howling Jensaarai within her avian armour.

Letting the corpse gently slide off her blood-red lightsabre, Rei nearly collapsed herself from the sudden fatigue. It did not help much that she had one huge gash in her side and at least a hundred puncture wounds all over her body. Also, even if she survived the wounds, the overtaxing of her body was going to cost her some serious physical agony in a nearby future. She tiredly glanced at Shinji's direction, and after a second or two of collecting strength, all but dragged herself to his side.

The boy was still unconscious, breathing heavily in a way that made him sound very much like Darth Vader himself. Of course, she was in no better condition. Her first instinct was nevertheless to attempt a traversing back to the higher levels, she would probably still be able to force her body into climbing her way back up and even carry Shinji with her, it was after all just a matter of mind over mater. However...

'_He has only sustained moderate damage__,'_ she thought, a light frown growing on her forehead,_' but it may still endanger his life to move him on my own…' _She looked down at the youth, and felt strangely compelled to brush some of the hair from his face.

'_In this situation, the logical thing to do is waiting for the recovery team to arrive…' _she reasoned. Thus, she pulled her legs up into a foetal position and settled for watching Shinji breathe in his sleep. It was oddly comforting, a feeling she did not get very often, but increasingly more often around this specific boy. The simple up and down movement of the heaving chest was also very soothing in itself, and within minutes Rei slowly drifted off to sleep.

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_To be continued…_

AN: Hidy ho! Nothing big here this time, 'cause it's been such a long time since my last update that you've probably forgot any questions you asked. However, don't hesitate to review and give me all your thoughts, good and bad, especially since it's been a while and I'm most likely a bit rusty...

See ya'll soon (probably…)!

And may the Force be with- Zzzzz…


	11. Chapter 10

It's not dead; it's pining for the fjords! Frankly, I'm sorry this chapter took such a long time to finish, but you know how summer vacations can be, you always find other things to do than the things you should be doing. Anyway, here it is, and just to show how sorry I am for the delay there'll be a few omake at the end!

That aside, here's this chapter's theme song, _'Anakin's Dark Deeds_'.

_Fly Me to the Stars_

_A Star Wars/Evangelion x-over by Ausir_

Chapter 10

Vader loomed over the green-armoured Jensaarai. Coldly, he thrust his sabre into the beaten man's heart, producing a short but intense scream from the dying warrior. The Dark Lord turned away from his latest victim, and put eyes on the last Jensaarai, a woman with armour designed after the corellian sand panther. With a metallic sigh the cyborg's artificial vocal cords rasped to life.

"You have fought well Jensaarai," he spoke as he slowly advanced on her, "However, you have already lost. Before you die, you will tell me where to find the stolen prototypes. If you co-operate, I will make sure your death is relatively painless."

"I'd rather die than tell you anything!" the woman spat defiantly.

"As you wish."

The Amazon Jensaarai leaped cat-like at the tall Sith, their blades meeting with a thunderous crack. For a short while they wrestled with their swords, but Vader with his superior strength was quick to gain the upper hand. His opponent swayed, and was pressed down to her knees by the cyborg's brute force. Still, she was not going to let herself be beaten that easily.

At the blink of an eye she pulled away her blade, and at the same time delivered a hard sweeping kick at Vader's prosthetic legs. With an angry grunt the mighty Sith fell over on his own weight. The Jensaarai rolled away as he fell, swiftly jumping back to her feet. She pointed her glowing sabre at Vader's chest, in hateful mimicry of how the Sith had slain her comrade moments ago.

"You are wrong Mr Dark Lord," she snarled, "For it is you who will die today, and I guarantee that I will make every effort to ensure that it will be as slow and painful a death as possible." Calmly she started to press her blade through the metallic shell that protected the Lord's sundered body.

"I will not ask again," Vader proclaimed, groaning as the intense heat penetrating his armour, "where… are… the prototypes?" The Jensaarai laughed out loud, a laugh that quickly turned into stifled sobs.

"You have destroyed my family, my world…" she cried, "My brothers and sisters lay dead, and now that I have you like this do you think I would grant you anything? No, I will send you to chaos with nothing to call for victory!"

"Stubborn fool…" Vader grunted. With only a slight effort, he hauled the Amazon away with his Force Push. The woman crashed hard into a massive pillar and fell haplessly to the hard ground.

With some effort Vader rose tall once more, advancing on the warrior woman's still form. He poked the broken body and only received a pained moan in response. A quick glance revealed that her spine had snapped, as had most other bones in her body. She would not survive for long.

"How pitiful…" the Dark Lord mumbled, activating his blade and using it to pierce the woman's still beating heart. A faint sigh was all that passed over the Jensaarai's lips as her pain was ended.

Vader grunted and turned around. He only granted the other corpses a fleeting glance before he marched up to the heavy stone door that continuously blocked his exit. Vader raised both of his cyborg hands to touch the solid stone and called upon his dark side powers to grant him passage. A few moments filled with only his mechanical breathing passed, until a low rumbling noise began to build up inside the sealed chamber.

The Sith Lord put more power behind his task, and the rumbling increased into that of rolling thunder, just as the mighty door began to shake and vibrate from the immense pressure. Then, with a deafening crack, a fracture appeared at the very top and with growing pace travelled downwards until it had split the gigantic portal in two. Vader felt his respiratory matrix increasing its pace while at the same time he continued to create a web of fissures which rippled across the stony surface.

'_Almost done,'_ he commented and retained his hands from the fractured portal. _'Now for the final blow!'_

With a mighty roar the Sith lord balled his right fist and hurled it into the door, boosting the punch with the power of the dark side. The stone evaporated into a cloud of stone fragments which exploded outwards in a veritable storm of detritus. Without waiting for the dust to clear, Darth Vader stepped trough the open portal, and as he emerged into the temple corridor, happened upon a group of surprised and very dusty stormtroopers.

"Report, Lieutenant," Vader commanded the squad leader.

"My lord," the lieutenant said neatly, "our forces have scoured the entire base and temple grounds without meeting anything but minor resistance. Requesting permission to search the surrounding area for the rebels."

"Request granted," the dark Lord said coldly, "make sure you exterminate every single one of the vermin, inform the men that they are to kill any and all Jensaarai rebels on sight."

"Right away, Sir!"

"And another thing Lieutenant," the Sith said, snapping his fingers as if just remembering a minor detail, "send a search party into the lower levels of this building in search for Ikari and Ayanami. I wish to be informed as soon as they are found."

"It will be done my Lord!"

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'_So warm… so soft…'_

Sighing contently Rei fluttered her eyes open, the deep red pools falling upon the sleeping visage of one Shinji Ikari, her provisory pillow. Rei blinked and gently poked the young boy's face with one finger. Shinji moaned slightly in his sleep, as if he was having a nightmare.

"Aya… nami… don't…" he mumbled in his sleep, "don't go… don't… leave me…" Listening to her co-pilot's sleepy ranting, Rei's face heated up.

'_He… he is dreaming about… me?'_ she thought in wonder, and stared intently at the boy. In his sleep, Shinji continued to groan and murmur.

"Don't… leave… Aya… nami… please…"

"I am right here, Ikari-kun," the girl whispered in response, and without fully understanding why, she embraced him.

'_Mmm… this is nice…'_ she mused, soaking up the warmth of the young boy's body. She looked at his face again, which had once more returned to peaceful dreaming. A soft, barely noticeable smile grazed Rei's lips.

'_Ikari-kun is __peaceful again…' _thought the young pilot lazily, becoming drowsy once more as she enjoyed their close proximity.

'_I feel so content when I am close to him…'_ she continued her musings, placing her gloved hand on his cheek and letting her fingers roam over his skin and dark hair.

'_He is soft…'_ Her index finger found its way over the sleeping teen's lips, where it halted. Rei brought the finger back to touch her own lower lip. Coming to a silent conclusion, she began to bridge the distance between their mouths.

'_Ikari…-kun…'_

"Hey Sarge! Sarge! Hey! I think I've found them!"

The loud voice cut through the dark cavern like a lightsabre, perfectly ruining the mood as well. Rei could feel shinji rousing beneath her. The boy's eyes slowly opened to about half, then they shot wide open.

"A-ayanami!" he exclaimed with a blush that could have served as a distress beacon, "wha- what're you doing!?"

Rei didn't answer, she didn't herself know precisely what she had intended to do, but something on a bio-molecular level told her that whatever it was, it would have been good, very good. While the troops commenced their retrieval, she heaved a sigh and thought simply; _'Maybe another time…'_

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"Geesh, you guys are such a handful…" Ritsuko groaned while viewing the two pilots' health scans on her medipad. The troopers had only performed the most crucial patching-up before sending the teens by express back to the _Ramiel_. Now it was the blonde doctor's job to repeat the same procedures again, the right way this time.

'_Darn those bucketheads!'_ she thought nastily while her eyes darted up and down the pad, _'I really wish they'd leave stuff like this to the professionals.'_ After swallowing the information she needed, she lowered the pad.

"Alright Shinji-kun, you're going straight to the Bacta-tank," she proclaimed whilst making a gesture towards the large cylinder in the corner, and shooting the nearby 1-B2 medical droid an impatient glare.

"Hey you, what're you waiting for?" she barked at the poor droid, "Get to it already!"

"Yes Miss," it said obediently, shuffling forward and taking command over Shinji's medical unit, leading it and its nervous-looking cargo towards the bacta-tank. Ritsuko rolled her eyes.

"Droids…" she said to the galaxy in general and then turned to her second patient.

"As for you Rei, we'll have to remove the splinters in your wounds manually. From what I can see there's a good eighty or so of them so I hope you're up for a long operation." Rei didn't respond.

"Rei, are you listening?" Ritsuko asked, slightly miffed at being ignored so blatantly.

"Ikari-kun seems to be experiencing some trouble…" the red eyed girl said silently. A tray of medical instruments crashing loudly to the floor punctuated her statement. Ritsuko shot a glare to where the 1-B2 was currently - and quite unsuccessfully - trying to prepare Shinji for entering the tank.

"Please stop struggling Sir," the droid said patiently, "the presence of contaminated agents could severely impair your regeneration, you _must_ allow me to remove your…"

"No way!" Shinji stated firmly and held onto his uniform like a lifeline. With a resigned grunt Ritsuko swiftly crossed the room towards the droid and its struggling patient, who had grabbed an obscure instrument with which he was fending off the 1-B2's advances.

"Shinji-kun," the blonde said in a commanding voice that rivalled that of Darth Vader himself, "stop arguing and get out of that uniform. And gimme that thing before you poke someone's eye out!" The later she spoke whilst snatching the instruments from Shinji with a vipers speed.

"B-b-but…" Shinji protested meekly.

"Do it, or I'll be forced to undress you myself," Ritsuko said threateningly, at which Shinji turned beat red.

"B-b-but with y-you a-a-a-and R-rei here…" the boy stuttered desperately.

"Shinji-kun, there's nothing there that I haven't seen before, believe me," Ritsuko explained and massaged her left temple, getting quite close to her end of the rope. "And as for Rei, I'd seriously doubt she'd care even if you were to dance butt naked in front of her." Shinji fainted.

Ritsuko scratched the back of her head and mused to herself "Hm, maybe I overdid it?" in a very Misato-like manner, before she gave a shrug. "Well, at least he stopped fighting," she observed clinically and returned to Rei who wore a somewhat ponderous look, while the 1-B2 could now make the necessary preparations in peace.

"Doctor Akagi, is Ikari-kun not feeling well?" the red eyed girl inquired with a hint of concern.

"He's fine, save the fact he's looking like he's been in a brawl with a gorax. Now lie back and let me get to work or else we'll never get anything done…"

The bottle-blonde immediately began to remove Rei's rubbery-suit. Rei, as always, was completely unfazed, staring unseeingly at the ceiling while Ritsuko liberated her from her ruined uniform. Once she had finished, the bottle blonde unceremoniously injected the sedative drugs into Rei's forearm. Within seconds the girl was sound asleep.

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"_Ikari-kun?"_

The soft voice was like velvet on his ears, but it sounded far away. Shinji opened his eyes and the very first thing he saw was a pale, somewhat blurred hand, then a familiar pair of ruby eyes as well as an unruly mop of blue hair.

'_Rei!?'_ he mentally exclaimed and watched in awe as she gently, almost reluctantly, removed her delicate hand from the curved surface, leaving a clear print in the thin layer of vapour. Above him the tank's entry hatch opened with a hiss and after a quick glance at Rei, Shinji began to crawl outside.

'_Brrr, it's freezing!' _he thought, as the chilly air hit his damp skin.

"Ikari-kun, you should dress," Rei admonished. Shinji looked down on himself, seeing a sparse loincloth around his waist and nothing more.

"I-I-I-I'm s-so s-sorry!" he exclaimed, covering up his front while perfectly trembling from cold and embarrassment.

For a second Rei thought of a quite simple and… personal way of warming him up, but the naughty idea swiftly passed on. Instead she handed him a bathrobe, which Shinji more than gladly put on. Rei watched as he did, the male pilot being all too aware of the girl's soul-piercing eyes upon him.

'_She looked the same before…'_ he thought, recalling his previous awakening, _'Like a mix between fear and hunger… did she… did she really intend to kiss me back there?'_

"Ikari-kun…" spoke Rei softly, and slowly approaching him.

"Yipe!" the young Force-user called out with blood rushing to his face. _'By the Force is… is she… she is isn't she? She's gonna kiss me, what am I gonna do, what am I gonna do!?" _Rei was standing next to the hyperventilating boy. She gave him an intense look, and then continued past him.

"Follow me," she instructed. Shinji was left dumbfolded for a few minutes, feeling extremely confused before his higher brain functions came back on-line.

'_I guess not then…'_ he thought glumly, and shuffled disappointedly after the stoic young ice-queen.

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"My, my, my… if it ain't the Boy Wonder and his sidekick Droid-girl!"

Rei and Shinji had only just arrived at the PACU when they were met by the sarcastic voice of one Sohryu Asuka Langley, self-proclaimed princess of the Mandalorians, and presently pinned to one of the recovery beds by the heavy cast on her leg. Shinji stared at the stiff-necked girl in surprise, and not a small amount of apprehension.

'_Of all the infirmaries in the galaxy…' _he observed dryly, a part of him wishing that the Jensaarai had just up and killed him when they had the chance.

"Been playing doctor with your gynoid, Mr Hero?" Asuka continued her 'greeting', "Or maybe invited her into your little can? I bet she would have loved being pickled like the vegetable she is…"

"Asuka!" Hikari gasped, emerging from behind a curtain, "Leave Shi--, I mean Ikari-kun alone! And Ayanami-san too!"

"Oh come on Hikari, they can take joke can't they?" the red-headed Mandalorian defended herself and displayed her patented hair-flip.

"Ha, ha, ha…" a male voice said sardonically. No-one could avoid noticing how Asuka's face suddenly contorted with fury; it would have been like trying to ignore an exploding supernova.

"Will you just shut up already you blockheaded bastard!" she snapped angrily. This time the male voice chuckled genuinely and came into full view.

"Says the one who managed to break her own leg," said TIE-pilot Leinad Eckru, briskly walking up to the main group though he kept well within arms length of the volatile red-head.

"Where the Hell have you been, _chakaar_!?" Asuka demanded not a little suspiciously, "I swear by Kad Ha'rangir that if you've been sliming around anywhere near my _Zeppelin_ then I'll…"

Leinad gave her a somewhat lazy look, "Oh shut up will you? I've just been around letting people know I'm still alive… kinda bites though that people actually think I could have been killed by a little girl…"

Asuka growled fiercely, no-one but no-one was allowed to call the Princess of the Mandalorians a 'little girl' and expect to live!

"How 'bout you then Mandy? Stolen any ships lately?" the TIE-pilot proceededd, chuckling as the female firebrand equally continued to fume. In the background Hikari tried in vain to stifle a series of giggles at hearing her friend's new nickname. Asuka, for her part, was certainly not amused, and made this very clear through curses and blood-oaths.

In the calamity, Rei led Shinji behind a section-dividing wall. It isolated sound fairly well, this section being generally used by the medical staff in case the need for… special procedures, should arise. At present, it was also the only place where Asuka's voice wouldn't cause either of them a mind-splitting headache.

"Ikari-kun, would you like to sit down?" Rei asked, seating herself on the lone bed. A few perverted thoughts came and went through Shinji's mind, and followed Rei's example only with great hesitation.

'_Should I say something?'_ the young Ikari asked himself, after the oppressive silence had

"A-a-ayanami?" he croaked timidly, glancing in the girl's direction. Rei didn't respond verbally, but her eyes did, staring into Shinji's cobalt orbs, giving them her undivided attention.

Shinji licked his lips nervously, his mouth having gone impossibly dry beneath her scarlet gaze. "I… I w-was wondering i-if you… kinda… um… erm… ah… would-you-want-to-go-on-a-date-with-me?"

Rei blinked in surprise. Realising what he had just said, Shinji clasped his hands over his mouth and spun around, thinking; _'That's got to be the worst line ever! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!'_

"What is… a date?"

Now it was Shinji's turn to blink. "Huh? You mean you've no idea?" he asked and turned back to look at the young girl's wondering expression. She shook her head. Shinji took a moment to figure out a good explanation. This posed something of a challenge, as the timid teen had just about zero experience about dating as well.

"Well… um," he daintily started off, "I… I think that… um people, y'know, on a date, that they… um… eat together and… maybe… see a movie or, uh… something…"

"I do not understand, is this in any way special?"

'_With you it would be really special…'_ Shinji thought, almost without himself knowing.

"Er…" he continued his complicated explanation, "p-people who l-like each other go on d-dates to… well, kinda… get to know each other…"

"Is knowing equal to liking?" Rei inquired, moving a little closer to the flustered pilot.

"N-not… not necessarily, b-but I guess it helps…" Shinji answered, leaning backwards to compensate for the alizarin-eyed beauties advance.

"We have known each other for some time now, Ikari-kun…" she pressed, closing the space between them even more. Shinji looked like the proverbial kybuck caught in the headlight, losing his balance and falling backwards on the bed.

'_B-by the Force! Is… is she going to…?"_

Whatever Rei was intending to do would never be revealed, as in that precise moment Ritsuko Akagi walked in on them, receiving quite a shock herself. After all, it wasn't everyday you saw Shinji being straddled by the socially inept Ayanami Rei.

"Did I miss something here?" Ritsuko asked wryly, fighting down her surprise.

"I-it's not what it looks like!" Shinji insisted loudly. Ritsuko raised a brow.

"Oh? And what does this look like?" she inquired in a manner more fitting of a certain purple-haired captain.

Shinji opened his mouth to give an explanation, but before even one word had escaped his lips, the second of today's interruptions occurred with the infirmary doors parting in an especially ominous way. Still, this unpleasant sound was nothing compared to what came through, a sight terrifying enough to turn a Wookiee's fur white.

"Leave! Now!" Darth Vader boomed. The aura of infuriation surrounding the tall Sith was enough for even a non-force-sensitive to notice. Leinad, Hikari and Asuka – with aid from her friend – all swiftly left the room while Vader barged in on Dr Akagi and the two pilots.

"Ikari!" the Sith Lord barked furiously, seizing the terrified boy in a telekinetic grip. "I am _most_ displeased with you, my pitiful apprentice!"

"Gha! M-master…!" Shinji cried hoarsely.

"I-ikari-kun!" Rei called out, her eyes attaining a faint red glow as she watched the boy struggle, clawing fruitlessly at his throat. Ritsuko hurriedly scurried away.

"You are a pitiful fool, Ikari!" Vader continued mercilessly, "I would have thought by now you could manage without someone guiding your hand at every turn, but it appears I was wrong!" To punctuate his message, the armoured lord hauled his apprentice into the hospital's durasteel wall.

"Ughh!" Shinji grunted in pain. Rei gasped in alarm.

"Please stop!"

"This does not concern you, Ayanami," spoke the Sith coldly; "you are dismissed." The girl hesitated, her eyes rapidly darting back and forth between Shinji and the dark Lord.

"…I," she began, but was cut off instantly by her enraged teacher.

"I said dismissed!" he roared. Rei promptly fled.

"A-ayanam—-, Ghack!!" Shinji exclaimed, but his constricted throat made it come out only as a hoarse croaking. Vader once more turned his attention to his servant.

"So, you still rely on others to come to your rescue?" he asked darkly, sending Shinji on another trip into the wall. "Pathetic! You are nothing more than an _insect_, a _maggot _that hides behind others! The Empire demands strength and loyalty of its servants. You, without strength, are nothing but dead weight!"

"Haagh… gahk!" Shinji gurgled, scratching his throat sore whilst his eyes were turning into his skull.

"Why don't you fight back!?" the Sith pressed "Are you so weak-minded that you can't even fight to save your own miserable life!? Answer!"

"I-… ghah! I…I'm…" the boy hissed, tears streaming down his cheeks from lack of oxygen.

"You disgust me," Vader spat and released his Force-grip. Shinji tumbled haplessly to the floor, coughing and panting.

"Then why… didn't you just… kill me?" Shinji asked silently as he regained control of his breathing.

"Hmmph…" the dark lord grunted, gazing down at the boy, "You have the guts to act high and mighty now of all times? I must say, however slightly, that I am impressed. Perhaps we are not entirely through with you young Ikari…"

Shinji looked up at his master, a sparkle of hope lighting up in his eyes. "Master…?" he asked timidly.

"Silence!" Vader commanded, though not with the same fury as before. That at least provided the young pilot with some relief. Still, he didn't dare rise up from the floor until his Master had finally decided upon his fate.

"Ikari," the Sith spoke after some time, "It would seem that what you lack is basic understanding of the nature of the Dark Side. Therefore, you will be sent to a place where you will yourself be able to discover it." Shinji looked questioningly at the tall cyborg, but remained quiet in waiting for him to continue.

"This place is the ancient homeworld of the Sith species, the remote deserted planet Korriban in the Horuset system. There you will learn first hand about the true nature of the Force, provided of course that you manage to survive…"

Shinji gulped nervously and nodded.

"A month I gather should be enough time…" Vader mused, giving Shinji an evaluating look. "During that time it will be only yourself and your sabre. You will be provided with rations for a short time, but after that you will need to hunt for yourself. Also, the only way to get of the planet will be if you survive the entire month. Do not expect to be retrieved before then."

"Yes master," Shinji said, finally deeming it safe enough to venture standing up. He suppressed a grimace when the results of Vader's manhandling him made themselves known. _'Damn, I'm glad I was fully healed before he started throwing me around, otherwise he'd probably have killed me.'_

"You will be transferred to the ship that will take you to your destination in about three hour's time," Darth Vader informed his apprentice, "Until then you are dismissed." Shinji bowed deeply.

"T-thank you, Master…"

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Leinad had been on his way to the bar for a few drinks when he'd noticed Intel.-officer Kaji Ryoji stalking around near the infirmary where Ayanami and Ikari were recouping. If it had been a first, the elite pilot wouldn't have cared a credit. However, the truth was he'd seen the scruffy agent hang around certain places a wee too much for his personal liking…

'_Even for an Intel.-operative, he's acting really suspicious,'_ Leinad thought, _'I bet my helmet that guy is up to something…'_

Ekkru had never really liked Mr Kaji. On no less than two occasions had the two been rivals of a lady's affection, and although the score was presently even, old hatreds died hard. Of course, this had nothing to do with the pilot's suspicions. Ahem…

'_Maybe just a little…' _he quietly admitted, _'More importantly, wher'd that bastard go?'_ He scanned the corridor, crossing it as silently as he could while casting glances into the adjacent hallways.

'_Ha, there he is! Thought I'd lost him for a moment… what's he doing?'_

The pilot hid behind a corner with only his head poking past, as he observed the unshaven spy disappear past a heavily fortified door. Once the door slid shut, Leinad came forth from his hiding place, stalking up to the shut entranceway.

'_Dammit, I don't have access to this area… guess I'll just have to go about it 'nother way, eh Mr Kaji?' _

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Hikari had accompanied Asuka and doctor Akagi to the adjacent recovery room, but had barely lingered past the point where her volatile friend had been placed in another bed. As Ritsuko had begun the Mandalorian's check-up, Hikari had slipped outside, and swiftly made her way back to the room she had just left, just in time to see Shinji disappearing swiftly down a corridor.

Her concern - and to some extent curiosity – peaked, the freckled mechanic decided to follow the boy. However this would prove easier said than done, as she quickly lost track of Shinji in the vast corridors of which she was still quite unfamiliar. She spent twenty minutes this way, aimlessly stalking the barren corridors and running into staff-officers and troopers, some of whom gave her quite suspicious glares. But Shinji was nowhere to be found.

"Oh, where the _brix_ could he be?" she complained aloud to herself, taking a rest against a wall. With a rumbling sound, her stomach decided to join in with its own complaints.

"Great, now I'm hungry as well…" Hikari grumbled, and as soon as she did, had an idea. "That's it! Why didn't I go there in the first place?" she exclaimed to herself and headed for the ship's cafeteria at a brisk pace.

The freckled girl stopped just outside the canteen room, only sticking her head inside to check whether her assumptions were correct. A victorious smile crept onto her lips.

'_Bingo!' _she cheered once she had located Shinji sitting in back in a corner, passing his time by looking out the window. Hikari quickly retreated her head and made an effort to tidy herself up somewhat before boldly walking inside the snack bar.

"Hiya Shinji-kun!" she called out cheerfully, succeeding well in acting surprised. Shinji looked up.

"Oh, hello, Hikari-san," he said, sounding disappointed. The pigtailed girl frowned; this wasn't exactly the kind of reaction she'd been hoping for.

"Is… is something wrong, Shinji-kun?" she asked, now standing right next to the plastic bench he was sitting on. The moping teen shook his head slowly.

"So you weren't… expecting someone else then?"

"No… yes, I mean I did but…" Shinji exhaled heavily, "I… don't think she's coming." Hikari stiffened; she had a fair guess who 'she' was, that girl that seemed to follow Shinji around everywhere. Maybe something had happened between them? Hikari licked her lips tentatively. This might be her only chance!

"Then you wouldn't mind me joining you, right?" she asked, making a vague gesture at the seat.

"Um, s-sure, go ahead," Shinji answered, just a little flustered. He wasn't particularly used to girl asking to sit with him, and he almost regretted it when the girl in question beamed just before placing herself right next to him. Shinji gulped.

"This is nice isn't it?" Hikari mumbled and moved in closer, to Shinji's horror leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Hi-hikari-san?" Shinji stuttered, but Hikari interrupted him with a query of her own.

"Shinji-kun, may I ask you something?" she asked slowly, her voice much more tense than just a moment ago. "What's the deal between you and that… Ayanami girl?"

Shinji froze, why'd she ask that all of a sudden? "I… don't think there's anything between her and me, Hikari-san…" he answered truthfully, even if it hurt him somewhat to admit it. Hikari snaked her arm around Shinji's and let out a sigh of relief.

"Then…" she asked huskily into his ear, "would it be okay for me to… kiss you?" Within the timeframe it took for Shinji's brain to even register this, the freckled girl took the initiative and planted her soft lips on the shell-shocked boy's mouth.

'_Mmm… this is… wonderful…' _she thought, keeping her eyes closed as she savoured the taste and feel of the most precious moment so far in her life.

'_My God, she's so soft!' _Shinji exclaimed internally, quickly coming to like the situation. Still, he had a really bad feeling, like they were standing on a cliff about to collapse, and it send icy chills rolling down his spine. Still, not even this unpleasant feeling could prepare him for the world-shattering words uttered in no more than a whisper…

"Ikari…kun?"

The cold hand of terror gripped the young man's heart as he instantly recognised the voice. Without a single word he pushed Hikari away from him, in time to see Rei running quickly from the scene and to catch a short glimpse of her tormented face. Shinji wasted no time in getting up and into hot pursuit, running after the blue-haired flash as she disappeared into the labyrinthine corridors calling out to her as he ran.

"Ayanami! Ayanami please let me explain! Ayanami!"

Abandoned, Hikari stood fixed to the ground with her mouth agape. One, two, three seconds passed before her mask of shock cracked and tears poured down her freckled cheeks unhindered. With a defeated groan she collapsed to her knees, her tears now collecting into a tiny pond on the ground while she whimpered repeatedly; "Shinji you _idiot_!"

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'_I'm such an idiot!'_ Shinji berated himself as he chased through the corridors, quick on Rei's tail. He had to catch up with her, explain that it was all an… accident. Even to himself it sounded so hollow and void, but he wasn't about to give up, the look of pain and betrayal on Rei's face forcing him to continue. As he rounded a corner, he ran face into a group of stormtroopers ostentatiously blocking his way. Shinji halted, more from surprise than anything else.

"Ikari right?" the group-leader asked business-like, "we're here to collect you for your transfer to the Nebulon B frigate _Sahaquiel_…"

"Like I give a shit!" the young pilot growled, his mood darkening with every second that went to waste, "Get out of my blasting way!" He started to move purposefully towards the troopers, intent to get by through brute force if need be. The troopers simultaneously raised their guns at him.

"We've got order's to restrain you if you put up a fight," the leader warned. Shinji felt a familiar tingling in his entire body, and the back of his hair now stood on end as if he had just entered an immense electrical field.

"Get. Out. Of. My. WAY!" he growled between clenched teeth, sparks flying from his fingertips. When the troopers still did not make any show of moving aside, Shinji felt the darkness bubbling up inside him, and with a roar he Force-lifted five troopers into the air and hurled them across the hallway.

"Set for stun!" the leader barked, and before Shinji had time to attack again, a current of blue light rippled towards him, hitting him point blanc with the force of a brick wall.

'_Ayanami… I'm…__ so… sorry…'_

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Rei lay prone on the bed inside her dark quarters.

'_A kiss…__' _she mused, _'when two people like each other, they express it through kissing…'_ A single tear travelled down her pale cheek. She buried her face in the pillow.

'_Why would he kiss her?' _she thought desperately, _'Ikari-kun… does he dislike me?'_

Her heart ached so much. When she had happened upon that terrible scene, the pang in her chest had been so painful she thought it would kill her. She hadn't even been conscious of running away until she had found herself in the sanctitude of her chamber.

But now, through the hurt and pain a dark fire was growing inside her, fuelled by her humiliation, her hate, and her longing. Her eyes flared with her emotions, and the hateful image of _that_ girl was burning before her vision. The room's atmosphere was trembling with pent up energy.

"I'll kill her…" Rei snarled, "I'll kill her! Ikari-kun belongs to me!"

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THZ-4115 strolled leisurely trough the hallways of cabin-block 32. Without warning, the door right in front of him exploded outwards, crashing through the opposite wall. He stared in disbelief as a feral-looking girl in her early teens leaped from the smoking entrance, her crimson sabre held in a reverse grip.

She shot him a demonic glance, and THZ was then very sorry that his armour wasn't equipped with waste-disposal. The girl snarled at him, and crushed the wall behind him with only a hand motion. Then she sprinted past him with lightning speed, leaving indiscriminate mayhem in her wake.

With trembling hands THZ activated his communicator; grateful that as a mere marine. After all, it wasn't his responsibility to deal with this sort of things.

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Korriban; the ancient homeworld of the Sith species. For nearly a thousand years it had been deserted, forsaken by its inhabitants, with only tombs and ruins of age-old monuments standing as the necrotic memento of a dark yet glorious civilization. The howling winds and harsh terrain was enough to bring anyone to the brink of madness, whilst shadowy creatures stalked the crumbling ruins both night and day in search for easy prey. It was a place alive with the Dark Side, and a place few left alive as well.

The Nebulon B freighter emerged from hyperspace, an alien object in this system where but few would venture willingly. Barely had it suspended itself in orbit above the arid world that a Lambda-class shuttle emerged from the freighter's holdings, soaring down through the atmosphere.

Shinji sat alone inside the shuttles cargo-hold, the sole occupant for this journey save for the pilot and navigator. He didn't care. He wouldn't care even if the ship suddenly crashed and they all died in the explosion. The only thing he thought about, that he had thought about since the stun-effect had worn off, was the image of Rei fleeing from him and the guilt that was now slowly consuming him.

'_Rei… I'm so sorry… I didn't want to hurt you… I'd never ever want to see you hurt…'_

As the ship descended towards a colossal monument, a sickening feeling swelled up in the Force-user's chest. Shinji was thrown completely off balance, never before in his life had he felt so unwell, yet he'd barely eaten anything in transit to Korriban. Also, he quickly came to fancy that it was not his own body acting up against him from some unsuspected affliction, but rather a most compelling outer force subjecting him to its sinister influence.

Reaching out with his senses in search of this veiled assailant, he found the planet tugging at his mind like a heavy lodestone. Unable to resist the pull for long, and in part due to a sudden burst of curiosity, he used the Force to explore the planet.

"Ugh! It _reeks_!" he blurted out, covering his mouth to keep himself from vomiting. He tried to pull his mind back and block the nauseating feel of the planet, but it was simply too strong for him, pulling him further and further in. The Dark Side influence was immense here, a beacon of darkness in the dark void of space.

A bump brought him back to the physical world, and he saw they had set down. The hatch hissed open, and, as if in a dream, Shinji rose and staggered outside. The air proved to be even fouler outside, stinking of murder and torture, and the winds that whistled through the canyon sounded like the screams of someone on their deathbed. This time, Shinji couldn't hold back and with a long-drawn moan he emptied his stomach on the ground.

He had only just stopped hurling when heard a harsh, groaning call. He turned around to see a gruesome horned creature lunging at him. Shinji didn't have time to draw his lightsabre or to call for help from the shuttle. As these thoughts crossed through his mind, Shinji felt his fear and panic transform into anger and hate; a nexus of power for him to use.

A blast of sizzling blue Force lightning electrocuted the snarling Tuk'ata as it was flung back. Shinji sent a new volley of crackling electricity at the beast until his nose was reached by the fetid stench of burnt flesh. Suddenly, like a slap to the face, he saw the smoking remains of the Sith hound. Pity welled up in him, shocked and ashamed at himself for doing such a thing. However, some part of him revelled in the destruction he had caused.

He felt sick again and staggered away from the charred remains, covering his mouth in disgust. _'I… I did it again… why do I keep… killing like this…?'_

Shinji had little time to ponder, as the humming of engines came to his attention. He looked up and saw the Lambda shuttle slowly rise from the ground, folding out its wings. He watched through the small cloud of flying dust as the ship took off through the atmosphere, until it disappeared completely.

"Terrific…" he mumbled, landing himself on a rock, "and what am I supposed to be doing now?" In their idleness, the young darksider's thought's drifted back to Rei.

"Man, this is one friggin mess…" he sighed, "I kissed Hikari-san in front of Ayanami… I'm such an idiot; I should have known that…" Shinji cut off his own monologue as awareness dawned on him.

"Wait… that means Ayanami… likes me?" he thought aloud, his heart making backwards flips in joy. "Well, we've grown a lot closer since we first met, and she did say yes to the date; she even showed up…" Shinji's heart sank like a rock at the reminder.

"Yeah, it doesn't matter if she liked me before, she definitely hates me now…" He shuddered as a cold wind passed over him.

'_Damn, I better find shelter quick, the sun's not even down yet and I'm already freezing!'_ Rubbing his shoulders to keep warm, Shinji got up and began searching the ruins around him for some place to spend the night.

His mind set on this task, the young pilot did not even notice that his initial revulsion for the massive amount of Dark Side energies permeating Korriban had all but vanished…

SsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsS

"We did WHAT?" Misato yelled incredulously.

Ritsuko casually leaned back in the Spartan yet comfy chair and lit a cigarette. She had been fully prepared for her friend's reaction, and as such had taken to drop the bomb in her own social room where the purple-head wouldn't make a scene. Misato had the quite bothersome tendency of being rather overprotective of her subordinates, and she tended to act up whenever something seemingly bad happened to them.

'_Well, in this case it's not too surprising," _she observed dryly,_ "He is just a kid after all…'_ Ritsuko let a wisp of thin smoke escape her lips.

"Oh calm down Misato," the faux blonde said patiently, "that boy defeated an entire squadron of rebel fighters on his first day, and it's been less than two weeks since he single-handedly took down a giant Krayt dragon…"

"That's not the same!" Misato called out, perfectly shaking with agitation.

"How so?" her friend inquired, drawing another breath of her poison of choice. Misato furiously slammed her fist in the table, causing their drinks to clatter and wobble dangerously.

"Dammit Rits!" she exclaimed, "Those where accidents, unforeseen variables! Those are totally different from deliberately sending a kid to a bone-dry rock with the population-count zero!" Ritsuko smiled maliciously as she let out another huff of smoke.

"Actually, that count has just risen by one unit…" she said snidely and dabbed her cigarette on the ashtray. Misato was hyperventilating.

"Oh I was only joking, Misa-chan," Ritsuko explained and waved her smoking-hand in a calming manner. Her purple-haired friend scowled back at her.

"Not funny Rits, even for you."

"Maybe…" doctor Akagi admitted, "but the point I'm trying to make here is that you're whole attitude towards this is completely unnecessary. I'm quite positive that this will be a good experience for Shinji-kun, it'll help him grow more self reliant for one thing. He'll thank us for it later."

"You're sounding like a cold-hearted stepmother…" Misato grunted. She couldn't help but feel that there was something else playing behind the curtain.

"And you're sounding like a doting Onee-san!" Ritsuko retorted with an amused glint in her eye, "Really, isn't this a little much for just one kid?"

"What are you suggesting, Rits?" Misato asked suspiciously, and just a little flustered.

The bottle blond scientist smiled wickedly, _'Hook, line and sinker, I beat you at this game every single time Misa-chan.'_

"What's with that blush Misa-chan?" teased Ritsuko, "don't tell me you've already put the moves on little Shinji-chan…"

"Hey, I don't sleep with little boys!" a furiously blushing Misato objected loudly. Ritsuko chuckled.

"From what I remember, Kaji where about that age when the two of you first got together. It's only standard psychology after all, to re-live your past like that…"

"I'm not living in the past!" the captain ascertained, pointing a wavering finger at her old school-mate, "and for the record I'm definitely _not_ regretting breaking up from that laser-brain! Heck, I wouldn't miss him even if he got sucked into a black hole and spat out in an alternate dimension dammit!"

"But you would with Shinji-kun…?" Ritsuko innocently suggested.

"Sh-shut up you!" retorted Misato angrily.

Suddenly her communicator bleeped. With a final glare of mixed irritation and flush at her friend's direction, the captain answered the call. When hearing what the trooper at the other side had to say, Misato's eyes grew wide.

"THE HELL!?" she roared furiously, "HOW'D THAT HAPPEN!?" She listened with crumbling patience at the response.

"What'dya mean you've no idea?!" barked the female officer, "Where's she now?!"

"Well _find_ her then for Pete's sake, call for backup if ya have to!"

"I don't care how you do it just _find her_!" Fuming she deactivated her comm.-link and emptied her remaining drink in one swig. "Let's go Rits, I'll need you in on this …"

"Need me on what?" the bottle-blonde asked, clearly not following. "What the hell's going on?"

"For starters I think I need a nice long vacation on Zeltros," she grumbled tiredly before looking straight at her long-time friend, slowly saying; "Secondly, we seem to have a problem with Rei…"

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Palpatine sat in on his throne in his personal chambers in the depths of Imperial Palace. The room was dark, as he preferred it to be, the only source of lighting presently being the activated holo-transmitter. The aging tyrant looked ponderously at the miniature hologram kneeling on his desk.

"So, you've sent young Ikari to Korriban?" the Emperor concluded candidly. Vader's bluish-tinted projection nodded.

"Yes Master," the cyborg confirmed, "I believe young Ikari should… benefit from a solo training-mission such as this. His skills are still quite undeveloped, he must learn that in this universe, only the strong are fit to survive."

"Indeed," Palpatine acknowledged, "I will be awaiting the result of young Ikari's training with great anticipation. As for my servant, young Ayanami, I assume there have been no complications?"

"She has been… restrained for the time being," said the lesser Sith lord. Palpatine arched a naked brow, his reptilian eyes staring intently at his apprentice.

"Why is this?" he demanded.

"Young Ayanami has shown signs of growing… instability, my Master," Vader explained cautiously, "I believe she might be losing her sanity… due to some unforeseen factor." The ancient autocrat pursed his lips; Vader was dangerously close to questioning his authority.

"Explain," Palpatine commanded.

"I have sensed her fluctuating feelings, Master," Vader elaborated, "her thoughts are clouded, and though she is likely to be unaware of it happening, her subconscious is starting to ask some rather… dangerous questions. This inner conflict is slowly tearing at her mind, and I sense that it will not be long before it breaks entirely. She has already gone berserk once, nearly destroying an entire an entire block of the ship's living quarters…"

"Enough," the Emperor implored, raising his hand, "I understand the situation now, what would you suggest would be an appropriate procedure, Lord Vader?"

"It is not too late to halt her mental deterioration, Master, and her usefulness is still at a high percentage. Indeed it is possible that this ordeal will make her more powerful than ever before. But since a weapon without control is as dangerous to the wielder as it is to his foes I have already arranged for her to be… re-educated. I will personally see to it as soon as we return to the Capital."

Palpatine subjected his servant to an evaluating look. He was suspicious to say the least; Vader wouldn't be planning something behind his back would he? Of course not… but he was a Sith after all, and one could never be too paranoid, even when you're the undisputed ruler of the Galaxy…

"Lord Vader," the wrinkled old man spoke suddenly, "I believe I know the perfect individual to straighten Miss Ayanami out. I am sure you are glad not to be having to bother yourself with such a minor detail, correct? Most certainly you have other, more pressing matters that need attending to."

Darth Vader was silent for a while before answering. "Yes, as you… wish, Master."

"Good, good…" Palpatine said with a victorious smile, "Bring the girl to the EmPal SuRecon Center, she will be taken care of from there." With those words the Emperor ended the transmission. Still smiling, he turned his attention towards the boy in the shadows.

"Nagisa Kaworu," he beckoned, "I have a task for you…"

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_The setting sun… a temple entrance… his shadow on the ground…_

_A small room… loyal servants… a pyramid glowing red…_

_Words being spoken… spoken to the pyramid… recording for the future…_

_The light fading… the shadows growing… the creatures moving in the dark… their burning eyes…_

_The last flicker… a polished surface… a face… his own… staring back at him…_

_Empty sockets… fleshless skin… a mask of red and white…_

"_It is I…"_

_The Lord of Hunger… the darkness in which all life dies… _

_Drain… Consume… Devour… _

_A thousand graveyard planets…_

_An eternity of hate and hunger… _

Shinji's eyes shot wide open in terror and he sat straight up, panting heavily.

"A… a dream…?" he asked aloud, turning around…

…and looked straight into a pale ivory mask of red and white, empty sockets as cold and endless as the universe itself.

"Aaaaaaargh!!!"

Shinji jolted awake, drenched in sweat and breathing shallowly. The adrenaline was rushing through his body like coruscanti airspeeders during rush-hours and he was perfectly shaking with terror. He clutched the tattered blanked he'd used to keep himself warm and shut his eyes firmly.

"Just a dream… just a dream…" he repeated in breathless whispers until he managed to calm himself down. His joy of having escaped the nightmare would prove short however, for as he looked up he saw a faint red light illuminating a portal further down the grand hall.

'_I'm still asleep…?'_ the boy queried and sluggishly rose to his feet.

He could easily feel the nasty dark-side aura emitting from the lit chamber, still the warm light was strangely alluring, comforting in a way. Without having any actual control over his limbs, Shinji started to shuffle towards the beckoning light.

'_I… I guess there's no harm in just checking, right?'_ pondered the teen. He was keeping one hand on his hilted sabre, just in case. One of the things experience had taught him was to always expect the unexpected.

Stalking up to the edge of the tiny portal, Shinji ventures a peek. He had barely explored the temple before going to sleep, but nevertheless he wondered how he ever could have missed this particular room. Especially since this was, down to the smallest detail, the precise same chamber he had seen in his dream.

"Maybe I'm just going nuts," he muttered.

The room was elliptic in shape with irregular edges and corners disturbing the otherwise rounded shape. It was gloomy, the walls almost completely shrouded in shadow, and appeared to have been an observatory or perhaps a place of worship when it was in service. The walls were lined with statues and reliefs, hauntingly lifelike and fear-inspiring, all locked in frozen combat with one another.

And in the centre of this paralyzed pandemonium, resting on a low star-shaped altar was the source of the red light, a fist-sized, seemingly insignificant pyramid. With Shinji's arrival, its crimson fluorescence had started to fluctuate at a steady rhythm, as if trying to coax him into coming closer.

'_Creepy…'_ thought Shinji, and boldly stepped inside. His internal alarm clock was buzzing like crazy, but nevertheless the boy continued his approach as if caught in a powerful tractor-beam.

He stretched out an exploring hand and warily seized the polygon from its resting place. The contact made him gasp and almost drop the thing; it was like holding an ice-cube - or ice-pyramid as was the case. Braving the cold Shinji studied the singular object, the most noticeable among its markings and hieroglyphs being a string of Aurebesh letters running along its base.

"'In Umbris Potestas Est'?" he read aloud, furrowing his brow at the ancient vernacular. This thing wouldn't be of much help if he couldn't even understand what was written on it…

Suddenly, his ears and Force-sense both alerted him of a silent shuffling sound and a soft, steady humming. Shinji looked up from the polygon, scanning the chamber for threats. In the dark ruby light it was difficult to make out much, but one thing immediately struck him.

'_What happened to the walls?' _he asked. His silent question would not remain unanswered for long, as the next he knew, a very uneasy feeling caught him, and the brown-haired boy turned just in time to avoid being skewered by a flying Force-pike.

"What the hell!?" he cried, staring in surprise at the vibrating weapon which was now deeply embedded in the ground. A group of shadows jumped forth, one retrieving its lethal weapon while the rest surrounded the intruder. Despite the gloom, Shinji instantly recognised them.

'_Those… those things on the walls! They've come alive!?'_ Beyond that line of thought he had precious little time to reflect upon the situation, as assassins now proceeded to throw a welcoming party for their unwanted guest.

Silent as the wind they charged, but where just as silent when the panic-struck boy threw them back with the Force. One or two didn't move after that, but the rest regrouped and Shinji activated his sabre to meet with the threat. The mute guardians were entirely unadulterated by the turn of events.

'_Could they be droids or something?'_ the darksider asked, eying the nondescript masked and goggled faces of his assailants.

Three enforcers leaped at him from different directions, their vibrating pikes humming in tune with his own lightsabre. By a hair Shinji avoided two of the attackers, yet the third managed to get in an almost-hit, cutting up a deep gash on Shinji's left arm.

"Shit!" hissed the boy, the pain making him angry. He cut down the assassin who had given him the wound in one swift strike, and felt better –albeit guiltily - by doing so. Still, with this one down, there was still plenty to go. And Shinji was quickly starting to get tired.

'_Fro__tz!' _he cursed and eyed his opponents wearily,_ 'How the blazes am I supposed to beat these guys? I'll be out cold before I can even get half of them! And if I tried to lightning them I'd just end up wearing myself out all the quicker…'_

_Do you want power? Do you wish to defeat your enemies?_

The words had popped up in his head completely out of nowhere. Shinji wanted to kick himself for seemingly asking such a brain-dead question in this critical situation.

'_Of course I want power!' _he growled, not stopping to wonder why the voice in his head felt so… alien.

He gasped as the now blood-stained pyramid clutched firmly in his left hand suddenly turned blazing hot before equally fast reverting to its cool state. And with this, Shinji somehow knew instantly what he could do to defeat his opponents. By using their own life-energy against them.

The darksider swiftly patched his prize in his utility belt; he would need both his hands for the rest of this fight. He took up a battle stance and gave the shadowy enforcers a cocky look.

"Come on you bastards, let's end this!" he yelled challengingly, making a lewd gesture with his free hand. The assassins exchanged glances. Clearly this was the courage of someone fully prepared to die…

Not suspecting a thing, the ones foremost of the throng of shadows jumped forward, forming a shrinking circle around Shinji as they advanced. The boy closed his eyes intently and concentrated. He could feel the force flowing through him, through his adversaries and even through the temple foundation. But what was priority now was the flow of the encroaching warriors, or more precisely, to avert their flow towards _him_.

The guardians instantaneously froze. For almost a full thirty seconds they did not move, yet as abruptly as they had stopped, the assassins suddenly started to convulse violently. Yellowish-red bolts of lightning shot out from their bodies, all of which flared against Shinji and entering the boy's system. Shinji gasped, though not from pain, but from the sudden feeling of power, _unlimited power_!

The draining of the dozen or so individuals went quick, leaving Shinji with a quickly fading orange sheen about him as he turned to the rest of the enforcers. He smirked.

"I think I'll have seconds…" he cracked.

With yet another evil grin, he sprang right into the mass of shadowy bodies. With one hand he manoeuvred his sabre, mowing down opponents like the angel of death himself, while his free hand worked on draining more energy from the few left alive his initial fury. The young darksider had already grown quite an appetite for it, falling into an orange-red haze where all that existed was his body and the stolen energy that rushed through it.

'_I've never felt so alive!' _he thought ecstatically, sky-high on stolen life-energy. It was like floating in a sea of liquid electricity. '_This power is… awesome!' _

Eventually – though all too soon in Shinji's opinion – the red mist lifted from his mind. He stared in shocked silence at the carnage, body shaking like a blender on overdrive.

'_They… they left me no choice right?__'_ his mind stuttered while his limbs jerkily moved him through the bloodbath, _'It was me or them… me or them… I'm not a bad person…'_

He needed to get out of this place. He needed to breathe fresh air, not these gaseous fumes that reeked of burnt flesh. As if he was still in the bad dream he had only recently awoken from, he staggered outside without any memory of crossing the space in between, relishing in the cold morning air.

After having filled his lungs with the dry yet life-providing gas, the memories of his recent acts returned in crystal clear detail. Of course he'd killed before, hell; he'd ended plenty of lives in his short career, but the great difference was that now he had not only defeated his opponents, but he had drained them of life until only empty husks remained. And he had enjoyed it like nothing before.

Then and there, something within the young darksider went snap, and he screamed and screamed until his voice grew hoarse.

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The door labelled as number 402B hissed open and Rei was unceremoniously ushered inside by the stormtroopers. She was still somewhat disoriented, the effect of the drugs she'd been put on only now beginning to lift. Inside was cold and sterile, then again so was most of the Emperor Palpatine Surgical Reconstruction Centre, EmPal SuRecon for short. As the name described, the room sported a wide array of medical apparatus and advanced droids; at first glance it actually looked like your average surgery-room.

Rei closed her eyes, recollecting the first time her Master had brought her to this place. It had been her first training ground, and she had met a few like herself, special people chosen by the Emperor himself. Occasionally they would train together, but after a couple of months however, they had all disappeared and she never saw them again.

She felt a sudden pang of sorrow as she dug into the past. _'I think that I… miss them…'_ mused the navy-haired female, her eyes re-opening. And looking straight into a pair of orbs that might as well have been her own.

"Rei Ayanami, right? I am Inquisitor Nagisa Kaworu, pleased to meet you," said the boy with a smile of childlike innocent. That is, the angelic smile of a child fully occupied with burning ants with a magnifying glass or plucking the wings of flies. Rei felt herself grow cold.

'_This person… he is so… empty…'_ she thought, the silvery haired teen reminding her of a somewhat fleshed-out starweird. Kaworu turned, still smiling, to the stormtroopers.

"I'll take it from here now gentlemen, you may leave," he said, and the marines seemed quite happy to get away from the pallid male. Kaworu's gaze reverted back to Rei.

"Please disrobe."

Rei blinked and subconsciously held onto her pilot-suit. "I am to take of my… uniform?" she inquired and was surprised that she did. Never in her life had she openly, or even secretly, questioned an order from a superior source before.

"Would you rather I do it for you?" suggested the inquisitor wryly. He had the face of a cat toying with its lunch, a mix of bemusement and childish cruelty.

Rei gained a tiny blush and bowed her head in order to hide it. "N-no, that will not be necessary… if it is required then I will do it myself."

"By all means then…" Kaworu urged, sounding rather bored.

Hesitantly Rei began the embarrassing work of unzipping the front of her uniform. She had never felt this… exposed before. The time Shinji walked in on her she had barely noticed, much less cared. Now however, she felt defenceless, powerless… weak.

The blue haired girl shuddered in the cool air as her rubbery suit pooled around her feet, leaving her in her naught-but-functional underwear. She trembled even more when she felt the inquisitor's cold, evaluating eyes on her. She couldn't bring herself to meet him eye to eye, the very thought chilling her to the core.

'_What… what is happening to me?'_ she despaired, _'With one word he has me at his leash, with but one look he brings me to my knees. What is this power he has over me?'_

"Good," said the grey-haired male, "now, if you will just step right over here…"

Rei gasped as she without warning flew a short distance through the air and landed in a set of heavy stuncuffs. With a merciless clang the cuffs clasped around her wrists. Rei would have cursed if she knew how to, she hadn't let her guard down for more than a moments time! Yet that had been all this guy had needed to render her helpless. Her anger was building rapidly.

"You look really fierce, Miss Ayanami," the young inquisitor commented, seeing the girl's eyes beginning to glow a faint crimson. "However I must say your aggression is misdirected; I am merely fulfilling the orders given to me by our beloved Emperor, just as you should be doing…"

That certainly struck a chord inside the azure-headed darksider, and Rei hung her head in shameful defeat. A medical droid came forth and presented a bowl of ink-dipped needles to Kaworu. The alizarin-eyed inquisitor grasped one of the vicious objects and looked at his subject as if seeking approval.

"Now, I hope you do not mind that we perform this manually," he casually asked. "We do have a few IT-0 droids on standby, but droids are so woefully lacking of an artistic eye, no?"

"I… see," Rei answered, biting her lip in concentration as the first pin was driven into her shoulder. The pain was worse than would be expected for such a small object, but Rei found no difficulty in blocking the unpleasant sensation from her mind.

"Just relax…" Kaworu implored, working with inserting the pins at a steady rhythm. The restrained girl involuntarily felt herself unwind, and a woolly fuzziness was creeping over her mind.

She caught herself just in the nick of time, her eyes had been dropping alarmingly and her breathing had become deep and slow. She couldn't pinpoint precisely why, but her instincts told her it would be a bad idea to fall asleep right now. And her master had always told her to trust her instincts.

'_The needles…'_ thought the female pilot, lining her thoughts up with some difficulty,_ 'they must… must have been… fermented with… something… a drug… I must fight it… I must…'_

"You seem confused Rei…" Kaworu commented matter-of-factly, yet with a hidden humour in his voice. The girl in question shook her head, though this only amounted to her becoming increasingly disoriented and light-headed.

"No… I am not…" she attempted, her lips following her lead only half the time.

"I would say you very much are, Rei," he spoke in an almost seductive tone, leaning close to whisper in her ear; "But don't worry… I will help you clear your thoughts."

His pallid fingers touched her forehead and Rei felt as if a minor jolt of electricity passed through her. Kaworu withdrew his fingers, the perpetual grin on his visage having taken upon it a hint of triumph.

"I see…" he said simply, in nearly exact the same tone as the beryl-topped darksider would have used.

"What?" the girl asked, unnerved by the inquisitor's gleeful expression.

"That boy…" he explained, still smiling, "…Ikari Shinji-kun, yes? I sense he is the root to your… instability." Fixing her eyes with his, Kaworu seemed to pierce into her mind and soul.

"You know this is true…"

"…no," Rei whispered, her vision dimming before her.

And suddenly, she was no longer confined to the shackles, neither inside the EmPal SuRecon building for that matter. Now she was standing in the centre of an open space filled with a bright white light. Save for herself, there was but one more person occupying the void.

"Ikari-kun!"

A warm feeling welled up inside the girl at the sight of those familiar cobalt eyes and that chocolate brown hair. She blushed unabashed when the boy smiled warmly at her, and her beating heart raced as he with open arms invited her to his embrace.

"I-Ikari…"

Flustered way over her ears, Rei slowly approached. She longed for his embrace, to be close and to touch him, and be touched in turn. Only a few steps remained, and she was now perfectly euphoric with her blood roaring and singing in her ears. Yet all of a sudden, Shinji turned his head as if heading a muted call and without a single look backwards, he walked away into the white mist.

The girl stood crestfallen with one hand partially reaching out to where her most coveted of prizes had been. "Ikari…-kun…?" Her voice, albeit lower than a whisper, echoed throughout the empty space.

"Ayanami?" Rei jerked at the familiar voice.

"Ikari!?" she gasped, staring in bafflement at him, "why did… how…?" Shinji placed a soft but firm finger on her lips.

"Shhh, don't worry Rei… I will never leave you…" She threw herself at him, casting her arms around his neck and cried onto his shoulder.

"Ikari! Ikari! I was afraid you…" The ruby-eyed pilot trailed off when she felt the boy's body go stiff.

"Ikari, what…?" When she looked up at him, Rei drew breath sharply in shock and backed away in utter horror.

Shinji's eyes had revolved back into his skull, crying blood. His nose and ears and mouth as well, they were all brimming with the thick red liquid. The boy started to convulse violently, shaking uncontrollably while vomiting blood like a fountain. Soon he collapsed on his face, unable to get up yet continuing to spasm and jerk in the growing puddle of his own bodily fluids.

"No… no more… no more…" Rei pleaded. It all had to be a dream… this couldn't be real… it just _had_ to be… a bad… dream…

"If it is a dream, then you are as much a part of the same dream." Kaworu was smiling, meeting Rei's terrified expression with a level calm, "Deny it as much as you want, pack into the deepest and most secret receives of your soul, it will still remain the truth…"

"I did not wish for this to happen!" Rei called out, fury burning in her teary eyes. The inquisitor's smile did not change.

"Of course not," said he, using a rather patronizing tone, "but this is what you fear. The fear of losing this single person in whatever way is simply… unbearable to you, isn't it?"

"This is not real." Rei's voice was strong with the desire to believe her own words. Kaworu shook his head slowly.

"Every person sees the world through her own eyes and experience. This," he made a sweeping gesture to encompass the entirety of the misty light, "is your mind, and in every valid meaning of the word, your world." He paused and looked around at the emptiness.

"You really should consider hiring someone to fix this place up for you," he commented, "It's so extremely dull when you have all the important stuff locked up…"

"Important 'stuff'" the thought form of Rei echoed, not sure if she should feel irritated or just confused. The image of Kaworu immediately returned his attention to her.

"Your important stuff," repeated the silver-haired teen, "your fears, feelings, memories…"

"One should keep one's feelings under control unless they are needed," Rei stated, quoting her master to the letter, "Passion is useless unless it is governed by a cool mind." This brought a short laugh from the inquisitor.

"Indeed, and have you been abiding by this philosophy yourself?" When Rei did not answer, he continued "I think it is time you reclaim yourself…"

Without warning, Rei stood in front of another image of Shinji. She was holding her activated lightsabre, finding some comfort in its humming. Her eyes darted between Shinji and Kaworu.

"Cut him down," the red eyed boy implored. Rei froze.

"I… I cannot…"

"Why? Your infatuation with this person is clouding your senses, his very presence is making you weak."

"I…"

"Is this the way you repay Master Sidious for taking care of you all these years?"

"No!"

"Then strike him down along with your restraints! Free yourself! Make the master proud!"

Rei screamed and closed her eyes, and lounged blindly towards her target. Her burning blade slashed easily through Shinji's waist, dividing him in two. A single tear ran down her alabaster cheek.

'_Shinj… forgive me…' _

Looking back at the broken body, the vision shattered into a million gleaming shards, leaving only darkness.

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Kaji finished loading his supplies into the Preybird's cargo hold. He wiped a few droplets of sweat from his brow and checked the time.

'_Hrmm, twenty minutes before the tractor beam goes back online… I better hurry."_ He pulled out the trigger device from his pocket, the orange-red numbers blinking continuously at 00.30.00. He sighed.

"So much for plan C…" muttered the agent, and solemnly pressed 'Deactivate'. The glowing numbers on the display faded and died; every single one of the bombs he'd placed around the ship was now rendered completely useless.

"You know," a voice said from behind, "something tells me you're not on your way on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan…"

Kaji froze, cursing below his breath. Not only had he been caught basically red-handed, but did it just _have _to be by _that_ guy? The universe sure liked to screw around with him, and he wasn't even a Beta-male. Calmly the spy raised his hands in the air and turned around, facing an SE-14 blaster in the hands of Leinad Ekkru. Smiling sheepishly, Kaji decided to play the fool.

"I've no idea what you're talking about Leinad," he said. Leinad didn't return the smile.

"Oh I imagine you do… traitor." Against his will, Kaji's smile became slightly more strained.

"Traitor? Me?" he asked innocently.

"Yeah, I've been keeping my eyes on you for a little while now Mr Kaji. I can't say I know all the details, but trying to make a run for it while our tractor-beams are so _mysteriously _deactivated seems suspicious enough to warrant an investigation. If nothing else you'll be charged for desertion, that's a capital offence y'know…"

"And what makes you think I'm about to leave?" queried the unshaven man, "Do you have any evidence at all? Not even the imperial court can do you in unless they've got something vaguely evidential…"

"That's why I took the liberty to hack into your system. I've gotta say your security measures are simply terrible; took me less than a minute to break in. I really found some pretty interesting stuff in there." Leiand held up a disc demonstratively.

"You know," Kaji said with a somewhat forced grin, "if you wanted to borrow my stash of porn you could just have asked… 'Sides, I got some state of the art firewalls on the truly secret files."

"What are those?" the TIE-pilot asked, curious against his better knowing. The spy's grin grew more earnest, and significantly wider.

"Just some secret footage of Captain Katsuragi and Flight-lieutenant Ibuki hitting the showers. Compared to what they'd do if they found out, being court-martialled kinda seems like a paid-vacation to Zeltros…"

"I bet…" said Leinad in flustered awe, a trickle of blood coming from his nose, "I think I'll have to look over those files later… you know, for reference and all…" He quickly regained his stern complexion. "That is, right after I hand you in."

"Well I'm afraid I can't let you do that Leinad," said Kaji, his hand flying out like a viper and taking hold of the other man's wrist. He swiftly wrestled the gun from Ekkru's grip, and then kicked the pilot off balance and aiming the weapon at its former owner.

"See ya later Leinad, I'll send your regards to Maya."

"Son of a-…!"

Kaji pulled the trigger.

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The sun was ever so slowly setting behind the horizon. Shinji sat on top of the crumbling temple walls, gazing at the burning sky and enjoying the fresh if dry evening air. He'd stayed put ever since his throat had turned too sore to continue screaming, when he'd just sat down with his knees pulled up to his chin and staring at the morning sky.

Even now, in the early evening, he hadn't moved from this spot. On the plus side though, he was now in deep and solemn contemplation, in reverse to just being in a mere catatonic state of shock. For the umpteenth time he looked down at the faintly glowing pyramid in his right hand.

"I'm not a bad person…" he whispered, tracing the odd markings of the polygon with his free hand, "it's this thing… it made me do al that… stuff… I'm not a bad person…"

His grip around the object tightened, so much that it was close to draw blood.

"Why did you make me do that!?" screamed Shinji abruptly, "Why!? Answer me!"

And the fluctuating glow stopped for a mere second, before flaring a bright blue, in which the ominous shape of a masked man took shape. The boy was surprised, to say the least, yet nonetheless curious. His curiosity turned to downright awe once the hologram began to speak.

_I am Darth Nihilus, the Lord of Hunger, the __Darkness in which all life dies. _

In truth, Shinji couldn't understand a word what the spectre was saying, its speech a mix of harsh and guttural sounds and growls. Yet, on some unconscious level, he could still grasp the meaning behind the creepy lingo.

_Let it be known that Life is without meaning or value, the only true purpose is Death. Woe onto the fools who in their vain struggle create puny empires and pitiful orders, all their effort shall be to naught!_

_Within this holocron I have stored the knowledge I have gained through my gazing into the abyss. You who are privy to these dark truths are free to use them in any way that you may see fit. But you do best to remember that everything__, you as well, is destined for death and destruction, so feed your hunger with the more urgency, for time is short and the hunger endless! _

_Thus says Darth Nihilus, Dark Lord of the Sith._

After falling silent the hologram abided for a few minutes, then decided that Shinji probably didn't have any questions at the time (a guess which was entirely off the mark) and like a genie disappeared back into its container.

Shinji stared bugg-eyed at the holocron. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, as if he was trying to say something but had lost his voice. It wasn't until the white spots started to dance before his vision that he remembered to breathe.

"This… that… what…?" he stuttered, before coming up with the sentence that summed up all of his questions in five nice words; "What the fuck was that?!"

The answer was so apparent that a part of his mind had to give the rest of him a metaphysical butt-kicking for being so slow: Presently what he held in his hand was a piece of darkside knowledge that possibly Lord Vader or even the Emperor where unaware of. In that instance the darker parts of his being took charge and the young pilot's lips curled upward into a cold smile.

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_To be continued…_

A/N: Actually some parts of this chapter were done as early as in July, but a few others (the Rei VS Kaworu scene for example) where written and rewritten countless times. Especially the Rei VS Kaworu scene as a matter of fact, it didn't really work out until I finally dropped most of the physical torture and focused on the psychological instead.

No weird languages in this one (though at one point there were a few lines of Ancient Sith). Ch 11 will feature some Mandalorian I think, because aside from Shinji and Rei, Asuka is going to be given some more screen-time (It'll be good, I promise!). And now, as promised, comes the Omake as well as some review answers.

Omake 1: Rei Vs Hikari

Rei stomped menacingly towards the snuggling duo Shinji and Hikari, pulling Shinji away from the pigtailed mechanic with a force that would have torn the ears off a gundark.

"Back off bitch!" she growled, "he's my man!"

Hikari answered by latching onto the one of Shinji's arm not occupied by the blue head.

"What are you talking about? He's _my_ boyfriend!" She marked her point by pulling hard on Shinji's arm.

"Says who!?" Rei spat, pulling with equal force at her own end.

"I do!"

"You and what army!?"

"Um…" Shinji asked timidly, wincing a little when the girls' scowling faces fell upon him, "don't you think I have a say in this?"

"NO!" both girls exclaimed in unison.

And in the Netherworld of the Force, a disembodied spirit that vaguely resembled Yui Ikari was crying abstract tears, saying in her metaphysical voice brimming with supernatural pride.

_Oh__, I never thought you'd turn out to be such a ladies-man Shinji. You've made your mommy soooo proud honey! _

Omake 2: The Teachings of a Sith Lord

… _after mixing all the ingredients together, pour the blend into the bunny shaped forms and put them in the oven for about fifteen minutes. Don't forget to sprinkle the muffins with lots and lots of sugar when they're done, and be sure to share them with your friends over a nice cup of tea! _

Shinji stared incredulously at the hologram.

"Y'know…" he said tentatively, "Somehow I never imagined the secrets of a Sith Lord to be his well-guarded, generation-old family-recipe for sugar muffins…"

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Last but not Least here are some answers to reviews:

Deathwish911: Actually, it's your fault that I had Shinji and Hikari kiss in this chapter. After all, you didn't specify between whom that 'nice sappy love scene' should take place right? Hahaha, don't worry, I'll get to Shinji and Rei soon enough.

Konous the grey: Yeah, I see what you meant about Kaji, I tried to add some more suspense in the Leinad and Kaji subplot, but I'm not really that good at suspense yet so I might have screwed up at that as well.

NamelessHeretic: The slave outfit will make a comeback in the next chapter, though I won't reveal any more than that. That outfit is revealing enough don't you think?

Alright, that's a wrap! May the Force be with you!

Ausir


	12. Chapter 11

It's that time again. You know, the one where I apologise for writing so slow bla bla bla… but well, I'm in university right now, and it's really taking up a lot of time, what with midterms and all.

The character of Leinad Ekkru is the property of JediMasterDarjaak, who's also my new pre-reader (by the way, I'm looking for one or two additional ones, anyone interested can drop me a line.).

Anyways, here's chapter 11, and today the StarWars Jukebox will be playing; 'Duel of the Fates'

_Fly Me to the Stars_

_A Star Wars/Evangelion x-over by Ausir_

Chapter 11

Darth Vader was brooding. Of course, in one form or another, the dark lord was always brooding. And currently, he was pondering his correspondence with the Emperor from a few days earlier, because, ever since, one single vision had dominated every single one of his meditations.

_Inside a dark room somewhere in the Galaxy, with a staircase leading up to a throne, he kneeled. _

_The figure on the throne spoke to him, and he raised his head, his cybernetic eyes meeting with something that even he, Darth Vader, could look upon in fear. _

_And from behind was another voice, and he spun around, meeting what felt like the greatest nightmare despite the harmless appearance._

_An assassin with ruby eyes… _

This vision bothered the Dark Lord than he would admit even to himself. In fact he'd met dozens of would-be assassins in his time, conquering them all one way or another, but somehow this enemy felt so… alien, that he could not even begin to understand its motives, or anything else concerning its identity. However, so far he knew of only one person with such haunting eyes…

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Rei blinked in the bright illumination. She raised her hand to shade her eyes from the painful light, and found herself staring with not so much shock as mild curiosity at her overhead limb. Though the stinging light created sharp contrasts of black and white, especially on the young woman's fair skin, the swirling, runic markings that snaked over her arm were clearly discernable.

'_I remember…' _

Or rather, she didn't. There was _something_ gnawing at the back of her mind. Something she felt was quite vital, but which only remained as a silhouette of thought…

Something…

Someone…

Ayanami let her arm back down and sat herself up on the bed, surveying her immediate surroundings.

The room itself was oblong with the shape of a wide crescent. Her bed was absolutely huge, it could certainly allow for three people sleeping side by side without discomfort. Beside the bed was a cupboard, and next to it the biggest wardrobe she'd ever seen. To her right were two doors, one that presumably led out to some corridor, and a slightly open one wherein Rei spotted a bathtub about the same size as the bed.

Continuing her survey in stupendous silence, Rei turned her gaze to the left and was greeted by huge panoramic windows that gave you a magnificent view of Imperial City's skyline with the EmPal Surecon building towering close by. There was even a finely crafted balcony which was large enough that you could park a sizeable speeder on it.

"What… is this place?" the girl wondered aloud.

Ayanami easily slid out from below the warm sheets, her nude form shivering slightly in the cool air. Swiftly she crossed the room and entered the bathroom. After a quick shower she opened the wardrobe in pursuit of clothes. The cabinet was full of exquisite and most likely fairly expensive clothes. Rei discarded them all to the floor, settling for a dull greyish-black uniform. She dressed in with the same swift efficiency as she did every other task, caching only a faint glimpse of herself in the mirror.

She stopped. With a ponderous expression, she returned to the mirror.

"Half?" she asked herself. And indeed, the tattoos on her face only covered the left side, leaving the right side untouched.

Ayanami closed in on the full body mirror, until she was close enough to touch her own reflection. With her hand, she covered the tattooed half of her face. After a moment's contemplation, she shifted it to cover the opposite cheek.

"Two sides… two faces… two of me…" Rei mused.

'_Which am I?'_

'_Does it matter?'_

She lowered her hand. No, of course it didn't matter. After all, whoever she was, her purpose was the same. Her purpose, her servitude, was the thing that defined her, that gave her meaning.

_Or is it?_

Rei spun around, blinking at the realisation that she was still alone in the crescent-shaped room. Yet she could have sworn she had just heard a voice.

"Who…?"

The question was left unsaid and unanswered, when the second door without warning slid open, announcing the arrival of a familiar, silver-haired teen. Nagisa Kaworu flashed her with his boyish grin.

"Ah, Miss Ayanami, I was supposed to wake you up, but it seems you managed that quite well yourself."

Rei answered his jovial greeting with a blank stare. She didn't feel any real animosity towards the boy, after all he'd only done his job, in the same way she would have. However, he still had that uncanny aura about him, like he wasn't truly human. Looking into his crimson orbs was the only time to date that Ayanami had truly known fear.

"The Emperor has appointed me your training partner and supervisor for the time being. Session one is just to begin, care to join me?"

"I… understand," the girl responded.

"Dandy. Follow me then," Kaworu instructed and headed for the door.

After a moments hesitation Rei followed him.

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At the edge of the Galaxy a barren world revolves around an indifferent star. On the night side of this world, upon the high walls of one of the ancient temples that scattered its surface, a lone figure was squatting, gargoyle-like and unmoving.

Shinji gazed at the billions of shiny dots that shone in the great panorama hanging above his head. He felt tiny, microscopic even, compared to the majestic grandeur of the innumerable stars that filled the night-sky. He figured that the unfathomable abyss was meeting his gaze, and grinning sardonically at him.

"Their effort shall be to naught…" he muttered, reciting the ominous recording found on that dreadful holocron.

For the past few days, he'd been waging an exhaustive internal battle over the tiny pyramid. With his physical body suffering the effects of his depleting supplies and the constant harassment by the planet's hostile fauna, the darker wills and urges had won through at the end. And the first thing he had done using the knowledge gained from the dark relic, was teach himself a both wonderful and horrible technique, the use of which was slowly eroding away sizeable chunks of his old self.

He had been starving, near collapse, when he discovered a way to like the legendary Anzati prolong his existence through feeding of the life-force of living creatures. Had he not been so close to death, he would never have thought of using such a grim ability, but when the object is your own survival, a person's morals tend to become quite flexible. And the fact that his first victim would prove to be one of those hateful Sith hounds made everything a lot easier.

Shinji gazed at the dried out husk of the Sith hound, not the one from a few days ago, but his most recent "meal". Rubbing his growling stomach, the boy muttered to himself.

"Man this sucks… I can keep going forever, but I just keep getting hungrier. Well, I guess it's not like I'm really eating after all…"

His guts made another rude sound, and the young Ikari couldn't help but snicker. That Dart Nillimus or whatever had been right on target about the hunger being "endless", and the boy silently wondered what it would be like at the end of the month.

"Heh, maybe I'll turn into a living mummy? Or a zombie?"

He stretched out his hands in front of him, like the zombies in "Night of the living Zelosians", and let out a guttural moan.

"_Chlorophyll_…_chlorophyll_…" He furrowed his brow, "Nah, that doesn't sound right… maybe something like this; _Brains_…_brains_…"

He broke into another fit of laughter. He knew it wasn't especially funny, but he figured in the current situation a good laugh was all he could do to keep himself from going completely nuts. Not that he thought there was much sanity left. As his half-mad sniggering died away, he laid back on the harsh rock, looking at the crystalline night sky.

Somewhere out there he hoped, despite all that had and might happen, that _she_ would be there, waiting for him when he returned.

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The hot laser hit her shoulder with a faint sizzling noise, and Rei let out a gasp of pain. Kaworu clapped his hands irritably, his calm face marred by a light frown.

"Miss Ayanami, try to concentrate! You must keep your thoughts clear at all times. Let's start over."

"Y-yes…"

Rei raised her blade in spite of her stinging shoulder. The vision had lasted for only the fraction of a second, but even that tiny amount of time had made her loose her concentration entirely.

'_A person that struggles in the desert… who?' _the young girl mused before returning to the task at hand.

Taking a deep breath, she cleared her mind and once more and – as soon as the diabolical little droids resumed their hail of blaster shots – blocked every single attack skilfully and precisely. Kaworu's smile returned.

"Excellent. Now, let us try something new…"

Clapping his hands again, the tiny droids froze for a second then zoomed away to their storing place. Rei looked curious, but her unspoken question received a quick answer, as the blaster-proof door opened and four humanoid droids, each equipped with a long staff, marched inside.

They were tall, about two metres, battle scarred and dirty yet no less intimidating, especially with their eerily glowing crimson photoreceptors. The grey-haired male stepped up to the droid quartet, putting a hand on each of them as if giving them his blessing. His attention then returned to Rei, who had already gotten a really bad feeling about those droids.

"These…" Kaworu began, "are IG-104, IG-140, IG-144 and IG-147, part of the "advanced" training program I've put together for you."

Rei looked at the droids in baffled revelation. The IG-100 MagnaGuard series were terrifying relics of the Clone Wars, having been even more feared than the infamous Droideka. Since it has its privileges to be one of the Emperor's apprentices, Rei knew that several IG-100s had been confiscated by the Empire at the end of the war. What she could never had guessed though, was that she'd one day have to face up with not one, but four of these mechanical killers.

"I sense your fear, Miss Ayanami," Nagisa pointed out candidly. "I hope you are capable of harnessing it well enough, for here, as everywhere else, only the strongest may survive…"

As if on cue, the MagnaGuards activated their energy weapons and began to advancing upon the young girl. Rei took a deep breath, letting it out as a fierce hiss, growling as she charged the droids head on.

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Onboard the _Ramiel_, inside the hospital wing, Leinad Ekkru was sitting upright in his bed with a bandage wrapped around his chest and a bowl of peanuts in his hands. Occasionally, he'd flip a nut into his mouth, chewing on it with a leisured grin.

"Heh, I guess being heroic pays of after all…" he chuckled, placing the bowl in his lap and leaning backwards into the soft pillows, placing his hands to support his neck.

"Yup, yup," he continued smugly, "one near-fatal wound while trying to stop a double agent and WHAM! Got your own room, good food and pretty nurses waiting on you hand and foot! Still, I could do without the pain…"

There was a buzz at the door and Leinad's grin died on his face as he glanced up. He wasn't scheduled any visitors, and he was not due any treatment for over three hours.

"If this is that Mandalorian schutta, I swear, I'm gonna hire a Jedi to decapitate her…"

The door swished open, but it wasn't a nurse standing at the other side. Leinad's eyebrows raised slightly; whoever he'd been expecting, it certainly wasn't this.

"Yo, Maya, been a while hasn't it?"

Lieutenant Maya avoided eye-contact with her bedridden comrade-in-arms, marching briskly up to the bedside, an aura of foreboding surrounding her like a dark-trooper's armour. Leinad had barely time to notice her right hand twitching; the next thing he knew his ears were ringing and his left cheek stung like Hell.

"You complete and utter _moron_!" she yelled at the top of her voice, shaking him by his shoulders. "What the hell were you thinking!? Did you even think at all!? Don't you ever try something like that again or I'll… I'll…!" She trailed off and let go of him, facing away.

Leinad managed to see it right before she turned her back at him. She was crying. And worse yet, he had no clue what he should be saying to her. He took a wild shot.

"Err… Sorry, I… Um, I didn't mean to… y'know, make you worry…"

She tensed up noticeably, like she'd just received an electric shock, and for a moment Leinad thought she was going to give him another slap.

"H-hey, wait a minute!" he exclaimed, holding up his arms for defence.

"Idiot."

Leinad lowered his arms, blinking at her. "Pardon? Ok, I'll admit, gettin' blasted by an Intel agent who doesn't know how to shave was a dumb thing to do, but still…"

Maya wiped her eyes before turning around, but her cheeks were still rosy and puffed, and her eyes looked terrible. She forced a smile.

"Worried? Me? D-don't be stupid… Ah-ha-ha-ha! I just, just… it pisses me off when good pilots put themselves in unnecessary danger, 'tis all!"

Leinad sighed in relief and… something else… sadness? Maybe. Then again maybe not, it was just that for a second he'd thought of how different the Lieutenant might have been if she hadn't joined the navy. It was a tough world for anyone, and especially women, who weren't much appreciated by the old men in charge. Having to act in certain way, performing without a fault; those kinds of things tended to warp people's personalities pretty good.

But right now, he was certain he'd seen just a small fragment of what lay behind the soldier's mask. And he brightened up and smiled.

"Peanut?" he asked gingerly, holding out the bowl at her. She glanced at the bowl and gave a light huff, plopping down on the bed beside him.

"Idiot," she mumbled, grabbing a handful of peanuts without looking and started to eat them one by one.

Outside, Ritsuko stood leaning on the door, smiling to herself. She wasn't eavesdropping – at least that's what she told herself – she was merely concerned for the welfare of a patient. And Maya had looked pretty scary when she barged inside.

"Heh, they're acting just like _those two_ used to," she chuckled, flipping a cigarette out of her pocket and lighting it, taking a deep huff.

'_Speaking of which…' _she thought, exhaling a cloud of smoke,_ 'I guess Misato should've had enough time to cool down by now, might as well go and cheer her up.' _

The faux-blonde woman pocketed her hands in the lab coat's pockets, easing herself from the wall and set up course for the bridge.

'_And__just maybe I'll find out something interesting about our mysterious Mr Kaji…'_

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In an unspecified region of space, at the very frontiers of the outer rim, a small imperial shuttle cruised over the rings of a medium-sized Jovian planet. It wasn't much of a place, even compared to other backwater systems; a run-down spacestation harbouring a tiny independent mining operation was the only sign of civilization.

Of course, isolation and seclusion is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you want to stay hidden. If you thought of it like that, this place was ideal.

Behind the control panels of the shuttle sat one Ryoji Kaji, easygoing, laid-back…

"Ah-choo!"

Sneezing.

Kaji rubbed the underside of his nose, grinning to himself as he prepared the ship for docking.

"Heh, I guess the ladies at home just can't stop thinking about me…"

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Ritsuko found her long-time friend on the bridge, staring far beyond the masses of Imperial ships in high orbit over Coruscant at the tiny specks of light that cluttered the endless space. The blonde woman waited till she was right beside her long-time friend before she spoke.

"Couldn't sleep?" she asked.

"No," said Katsuragi, lying only by half. "I'm thinking."

"About him?"

Misato crooked a smile, "Heh, that's pretty vague, don't you think?"

"In that case, which one of them are you thinking about?"

"Both, I think," the purple-head responded. "Though obviously for completely different reasons…"

"Of course," Ritsuko agreed and lit a cigarette. Misato wrinkled her nose as the strong odour pierced her senses.

"That stuff screws up your lungs pretty badly, y'know…" she pointed out, not bothering to be subtle about it. Ritsuko took a draft and exhaled through her nose.

"Worse things happen in space," the blonde countered philosophically. Misato was about to say something, but was thrown into a fit of coughs when her friend released another cloud of smoke.

"What do you think about the girls?" asked Dr Akagi, ignoring the other woman's plight.

"I think they're settling pretty well," said Misato once she'd managed to stop coughing. "That girl Hikari seems like she'd be happy just about anywhere if you gave her a pile of junk and a screwdriver…"

"According to this report," Ritsuko interrupted, "Asuka's been, and I'm quoting here, 'giving the local garrison a royal serving of whoop-ass' since day one."

"Well, it'll keep them from going soft," Misato said with a bright smile. The blonde sighed.

"You're so cold Misato," she commented mock-seriously, with a very distinctive twinkle in her left eye. "Pining after your ex-boyfriend while our troops get massacred by a Mandalorian Amazon, is that really how a good officer should behave?"

Katsuragi stomped her foot like a miffed child, an angry vein throbbing on her forehead.

"I am _not_pining!" she barked firmly. "I'm pissed off! I swear I'm gonna make the guy into an _ex_-ex-boyfriend once I get my hands on him! 'Sides, if our men can't cope with one little girl they'd be more fit cleaning the privies than running around playing war!"

Dr Akagi had to stifle a chuckle. Misato just never seemed to learn her lesson. And hopefully she wouldn't, otherwise the blonde would have to find someone else to tease. Masking her smile she took another draft of her smoke.

"Well, at any rate, how do you plan on finding your future ex-ex-boyfriend? Got any ideas where he might be hiding?"

Misato sighed and leaned against the great window.

"Nope, ain't got any…" she admitted. Ritsuko frowned unnoticed.

"But," Katsuragi continued, still staring into the depths of space, "he won't be hanging around in Imperial space for long. My guess would be he's headed for the outer rim, hiding in some tiny isolated community in a system no-one's ever heard off. Might even try landing on some un-colonized planet… say what you like about him, but he's one hell of a survivor…"

A tiny, affectionate smile played on Misato's lips.

"Pining…" Ritsuko coughed.

"_Not_!"

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Horuset, Korriban's deathly pale sun, slowly sank below the horizon, casting long shadows on the crumbling Sith temples.

Shinji jumped down from the ruined wall from which he'd been gazing at the empty sky for most of the day. It'd become his favourite pastime by now, apart from sleeping and… feeding. He winced as the sudden movement reminded him of the painful void just below his rib-cage.

"What I wouldn't give for a nice, big, seven-course dinner plus dessert right now," said the dishevelled darksider, shuffling along the ancient battlement.

He would be sleeping on the wall tonight, just as all the other nights since he first got here. Even during the days he shunned the temple entrances, and he'd rather jump off this battlement right now than set his foot inside during the night. No, he would bide his time outside for whatever remained of this hellish month, better let whatever secrets still lay buried beneath his feet remain that way.

Besides, sleeping outside wasn't much of a bother really. It got cold, yes, but the heating mechanism in his suit still worked, despite the rips and cuts that now punctuated its once smooth surface. Also, the animals had learned to keep their distance from him by this point. Of course, this made it slightly more difficult for him to leech their energies, but all in all, he had no complaints.

That is, apart from the wind. The wind and the whining whispering of those damnable voices which made the act of trying to get some sleep a nightmare in itself. And of course, the bad dreams that followed usually had him waking up screaming. If nothing else would be driving him crazy on this blasted rock, he thought glumly, the lack of sleep would certainly do the trick.

Suddenly, he bumped into something hard. Shinji looked up, and fell back in terror. The pitch black, seven foot tall giant loomed before the panic-struck boy like a living tower of darkness, the faltering rays of light reflecting on polished armour. The thing's slow, wheezing intakes of air chilled the young darksider to his very core.

"M-master!?" he cried out, crawling away slightly before getting to his feet, a tiny light of hope suddenly flaring inside him.

Yet suddenly the glowing crimson-blade of the mighty Sith Lord's lightsabre hissed to life in his gloved hand. Shinji backed away with his eyes transfixed on the lethal weapon, humming angrily like a swarm of wasps. It seemed to stretch out after him like a hungry serpent while Vader's heavy steps echoed like leaden doors in the depths of a crypt, the towering shadow drawing closer and closer, undeniable like Death itself.

"M-my Lord? Wh-what're you…?" Shinji stammered, tripping over a rock and tumbling backwards.

Silently, the Dark Lord raised his weapon in the air, the pillar of light pointing at the night sky for an agonizing split second before it was brought down upon the cowering boy with a force that would have split a mountain.

Screaming, Shinji shut his eyes and held up his arms in vain defence.

Nothing happened.

The boy stopped screaming, and opened his eyes. Vader was no-where to be seen, Shinji was completely alone on the battlement, shrouded in the gloom.

Shaking uncontrollably and drenched in cold sweat, Ikari pulled up his legs and hugged them tightly in an iron grip, his chin resting on his quivering knees.

"Rei… Mom… anyone, please help me…" he whispered to himself.

And ever so slowly he drifted off into a graciously dreamless sleep.

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"Aha, so this is where you've been hidin'!"

Hikari jerked up in surprise from her work on the _Zeppelin's_weapon systems, accidentally butting her head against the cowl. Grimacing and rubbing her scalp she peaked over her shoulder, already knowing who it was that had sneaked up on her. Sure enough, there stood Asuka Sohryu Langley, beaming like she'd just found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

The pigtailed girl managed a smile.

"Hey, Asuka, how's it going?"

The Mandalorian girl crossed her arms like she always did in combination with her cocky grin.

"Couldn't been better! I admit I was mighty pissed when they dumped us at this damn ugly complex, but I've gotta hand it to 'em, they've got some of the best equipment in the effing Galaxy!"

Hikari tried to hide a smile. With Asuka's rather broad-minded approach to property, she imagined the guys in charge of the military supplies around here would be scratching their heads over why stuff kept disappearing. In the meantime, Asuka slipped next to her friend, putting an arm around her oil-stained shoulders.

"So, how's my favourite piloting mechanic doing? Haven't seen you for a few days actually, I tell you this place is a bloody maze! Can you imagine I actually had to use a map to get to the privy?"

"Oh dear…" said Hikari, uncommitted. Asuka frowned.

"Hey, what's with that dull response, girl?" the red-head demanded, prodding her friend's cheek. "This is your best friend talking ya know, shouldn't you be a bit less down in the dumps? What's bothering ya?"

Hikari took a deep breath and mustered a smile.

"There's nothing bothering me, Asuka," she said.

The Mandalorian princess nodded.

"Uh-huh, don't lie to me Hikari-chan… I can tell when something's bothering ya, and right now you've got it scribbled all over your face. So spill it."

The pigtailed girl blushed and cursed herself for doing so. She'd never been a good liar, mostly since unlike Asuka she lacked the experience; her friend was usually the one doing the talking. She wouldn't have thought it'd be _this_ transparent though!

With another deep breath, Hikari decided to tell Asuka the whole story. Ten minutes later, the usually iron-stomached Asuka was looking quite physically ill.

"S-Shinji?" she gasped. "You mean _that_ Shinji? The no-good-for-nothing, sorry-excuse-for-a-human-being Ikari Shinji?"

"Don't call him that Asuka!" Hikari snapped, an edge in her voice that Asuka had never experienced before.

"I… I'll call him whatever I bloody well feel like!" the red-head retorted, her resolve slightly faltering.

"But do you have to call him names all the time?"

Hikari's expression had changed from miffed to sad. Asuka looked away.

"I… I guess not…" the redhead grumbled.

A smile suddenly spread across her pigtailed friend's face like a dawning sun. She walked up to Asuka and put her arms around her, hugging her tightly.

"Asuka-chan… won't you do this for me?" she said quietly, "I'm sure if you tried you'd come to like Shinji-kun as well."

"Hikari…" Asuka whispered, absently stroking her friend's back.

"Promise me you won't interfere okay? I couldn't bare it if my best friend and the guy I like hated each other…"

Unseen, Sohryu clenched her jaw. She carefully undid herself from Hikari's embrace.

"Alright," she huffed and flipped her hair stereotypically, "like I'd care anyway…"

Hikari flashed another bright smile.

"Thanks Asuka! You're such a great pal!"

"Yeah, I know…"

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"Why did I have to be here?"

Shinji lay on his back on the bowed head of a gigantic statue sitting on an immense throne hewn out of the ancient bedrock which in itself was the entrance to yet another temple or tomb. He absently wondered why all the statues seemed to have their heads bowed.

"Guess the people who built them were just as depressed living on this stupid rock as I am…" he mused and shifted a bit to slide down the giant's neck onto its left leg.

A numbing fatigue spreading through his body signalled that it was just about time for lunch. On reflex Shinji caught a small bug crawling on the rock and quickly drained it. It was only a light snack, but he'd have to make due until he found something bigger. He shaded his eyes with one hand and gazed around the valley in search of a Wraid or Sith hound.

Yet what eventually caught his eye was something completely different.

It was a person, probably humanoid and dressed in a white robe, standing near the entrance to another tomb not too far off. Before he even realised he'd made a decision Shinji was running down the steep steps of the crumbling sepulchre while not letting the robed figure out of his sight. It stayed completely still until Shinji was less than a hundred metres away, and then it silently passed through the gloomy entrance.

Ikari kept running, intent on discovering who this mysterious person was, and when he speeded through the stone portal he plummeted straight into the darkness, landing on his face at the end of the staircase. Fortunately it hadn't been a bad fall, though it certainly added a few extra cuts and bruises to his collection.

He swore, quite elaborately, as he painfully got to his feet and surveyed his surroundings. It was a narrow passageway which turned sharply to the left after about two hundred metres. A bluish, wavy light played on the further wall and Shinji recognised the faint sound of splashing water. With care he made his way through the tunnel, and emerged in a minor cave with a small pond in its centre. A hole in the cave roof provided it with ample light and reflected the water onto the walls.

And there, just by the edge of the tiny lake stood the white-robed one, her hood pulled back to reveal short brown hair. Even from behind, Shinji would have recognised her in a crowd of millions.

"M-mom?"

Ikari Yui turned around to look at her son, smiling at her son while her emerald green eyes reflected the dim cave light.

"Shinji… my child," she said and beckoned at her with open arms.

This can't be real, it can't possibly be real! Shinji's mind yelled over and over. His body however wouldn't listen, and with shuffling steps he approached her and allowed himself to sink into her embrace.

"Mom…" he whispered, tears already threatening to break through, "Mom… how?"

Yui didn't answer, she merely held her child close, stroking his hair.

"Mom, I've missed you so much… they said… I thought I saw…" Shinji raised his head, tears streaking his face, "Everyone told me you were dead!"

His mother's expression didn't change; she was still smiling, still holding him close.

"How did you get here?" he pressed, "Why didn't you send me and dad a message? What have you…?" Without warning the younger Ikari felt a painful tug on his ankles which stopped him in mid sentence.

"What the…?"

Looking down, Shinji saw a mass of dark crimson hands reaching and pulling for his legs, their sharp, claw-like nails digging painfully into his flesh. He let out a scream and started kicking and trampling the demonic hands to get free.

"Mom, get out of here!" he yelled and looked back up.

In his mother's place stood a charred and burnt skeleton, crumbling and rapidly turning to dust before Shinji's horrified eyes. Stumbling backwards, he tripped over the flailing hands and nearly fell into their grip before he could steady himself against the wall. Unfortunately, the wall didn't prove as solid as it appeared, and the young darksider soon found against all probability that his hands were _sinking into the rock_!

He swiftly tried to pull out, but it proved much more difficult than anticipated. It was like bloody quicksand! And on top of it all he had to fight of the onslaught of the foul demon hands which now covered the entire grotto floor.

"What the Chaos is happening here?!" the boy yelled and kicked a hand so hard its fingers broke. This did nothing to deter it and the others however.

Returning his attention momentarily at the wall, Shinji saw its rocky surface had smoothened out and now looked very much like the reddish hide stretching over a muscular torso. Even before he looked further up he knew he'd be sorry he did, and what he saw wholly confirmed that premise.

The face was crimson-hued with glowing yellow eyes in deep sockets, a beard of thick blood-red tentacles writhed around its mouth and chin. And Shinji had his hands embedded in its torso.

With the super-human power bestowed through mortal terror, Ikari frantically pulled and tugged at his captured arms, at long last freeing them from the rocky flesh of the thing in the wall. Now he'd only have to escape this subterranean nightmare and return to the world above.

Easier said than done.

The walls were as abuzz with foul writhing movements as the floor and, to Shinji's horror, ceiling. Ruby coloured limbs and tentacle-faces bubbled like feeding piranhas on every surface, groaning, screaming, flailing, reaching…

At a second's notice Ikari whipped out his blade and lashed out at the mass of arms extending from the wall, severing them to the accompaniment of horrific shrieks that swore at him in an alien language. The lost limbs evaporated into wisps of black smoke, leaving no trace whatsoever.

"I knew it… it's not real!" Shinji called out, skewering a torso that filtered out from a nearby pillar. "You're not real! You can't harm me! You're not real!"

A ghostly laugh erupted inside the cave, and Shinji stared at the grinning faces with their vicious teeth and abominable appendages. Then they began to mumble - muttering words that he couldn't understand, but which nonetheless chilled his soul.

_Jen, jen, J__en'jidai!_

_Jen, jen, J__en'saarai!_

The mumbling susurrus gained in strength and magnitude until it became a roaring chant that thundered off the walls and pounded on the young darksider's eardrums like jack-hammers, forcing Shinji to his knees with his hands firmly held against his ears.

_Ari, ari, J__en'ari!_

_Ari, ari, Sith'ari! _

And as the rolling thunder of thunderous hell-choir roared around him like a raging sea, Shinji beheld how the shapes and figures sprawling on the walls slowly but surely phased _out of_ their confinement. Soon more than a dozen of the red-skinned, tentacle bearded figures dressed in dark robes had formed a circle around him.

"_Bogan, Ja'ak!" _they boomed, and then fell deathly silent.

On shaky legs Shinji attempted to stand, yet was forced back down by an unseen weight on his shoulders; the more he struggled the heavier it became until he yet again was on his knees.

And then the voices returned, like the buzzing of insects. Shinji could feel how _something_ was trying to force itself inside his mind. He fought back per reflex, using his training as much as he could remember, but the mental attack only grew more powerful, until like the breaking of a dam his mental barrier gave way to the probing entity.

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Asuka stomped away through the corridors, destination; the exercise grounds, intent on releasing some steam – actually a lot of steam, since she'd been building it up for a while. And she really needed to come up with some kind of cunning strategy too; otherwise Hikari would end up dating a spineless and complete failure of a guy. As a friend and comrade in arms, Asuka just couldn't stand by and watch Hikari making the biggest mistake of her life.

'_Killing the guy would be __the easiest way, but I guess she'd never get over it if her dear "Shin-chan" suddenly kicked the bucket…'_

Reaching the entrance to the grounds, she put on her helmet and checked her armour - she'd learned that the imperial troopers always practised with sharp ammo, which suited the volatile Mando just fine – right before punching the lock-switch and stepping out into what the marines would call "the playground".

"Hope you're ready to get your plastoid asses thoroughly kicked, bucket-heads!" she called out, jumping straight to the obstacle course, climbing walls and avoiding blaster-fire with a skill rivalling the veteran troops.

The stormtroopers left in her wake watched her in bafflement.

"Hey look! It's that Mandalorian chick again!"

"Sure is, and I hope she'll take it easy on us today…"

"Who's that?" asked one of the rookies.

"Ah, ya see, that girl came here a month or so ago," another marine explained, while they all watched as Asuka swung herself expertly across the electric-shock grid. "Said she was new an' wanted to spar with us, so we laughed at her an' told her to pull the other one…"

"And then she beat the crap out of us," a third finished, rubbing his shoulder-plate as if in painful remembrance. The rookie marine opened his eyes wide behind his helmet.

"Wow…" he said in awe. The others nodded.

"I think she's some kind of newly recruited commando or something," the third continued in a conspiring tone, "She's been off on missions quite often, top secret some say, and she's better than most of us at anything…"

Before the soldiers' gossip could continue further, Sarge – a seasoned clone from the Clone Wars, whose name was incidentally the same as his rank – noticed the slacking units and decided to do something about it.

"Alright you lazy lot, who said you could just up an' take a smoker, huh!?" he bellowed loud enough to be heard from one end of the kilometre-wide grounds to the other. "This ain't no friggin' kindergarten you mangy womprats, so get your arses back on the track or I'll be usin' you for target practice!!"

"Y-yessir!" the troops exclaimed, saluting nervously and swiftly running to climb the durasteel wall.

"Make that double-time!" he roared at their fleeing backs as he went to instruct the soldiers at the shooting range. Having already cleared the tracks, this was also where Asuka was heading while unfastening her prized WESTAR-34's.

"I see you're back with us again, girl," said Sarge once he spotted the red-head, who was taking down nearly all her targets with but one shot for each.

"And I see you're still alive, old man!" she retorted, blasting her final robot target to smithereens. The sergeant laughed.

"Good girl, good girl!" he chuckled, "Keep that up and you'll go past captain Katsuragi in no-time at all."

"Feh! As if!" she snorted, spinning her blasters around on her index-fingers before holstering them. "Why'd I wanna stay a second-grade officer when I could become Mandalore? I tell you, first chance I get; I'll blow this dump and take the first ship headed for Mandalorian space."

"Y'know girlie, that talk's no good," said Sarge in a low voice, "what you're plannin' is desertion an' high-treason if I ever heard it. Whadd'ya think is keeping me from reporting ya to the higher-ups, hm?"

Asuka gave him a pearly white smile and passed the veteran soldier by, patting him on his armour-encased shoulder.

"Because," she whispered back, "you're the same as me, right?"

Behind his mask, Sarge grinned. "Well, as long as no-one asks, I guess won't have to tell 'em anything, right?"

"_Vor'e_…" Asuka said quietly, and swiftly marched away to the wrestling pit. Quite a few stormtroopers could be seen moving out of her way.

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Kensuke surveyed the small crowd of young hopefuls around him. He'd arrived early, a bit more than an hour ahead of anyone else in fact, and before that he'd spent many hours each day for months in preparation for this day. After all, the chance of joining the Imperial Junior Corps was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

So why wasn't Touji here already?

He took another peek at his chronometer. Another fifteen minutes before the tests would begin. Well, there was still time for the jock to show up, and having known Touji for most of his life Kensuke suspected his friend would come running at the last moment.

I guess the worst case scenario would be if he overslept, Kensuke mused, or got lost on his way to the recruitment office…

The bespectacled youth chuckled quietly to himself. Yeah right, not even Touji was stupid enough to get lost in a building.

Probably.

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"Aw man, what kinda messed up guy drew the plans for this place?"

Suzuhara Touji walked through the confusing corridors of the GEHIRN complex. Not only had he overslept completely, having woken up less than half an hour ago and been forced to run all the way, but had found himself completely lost right after he passed through the main entrance.

"This sucks…" the jock muttered, absentmindedly strolling past a smaller corridor…

"Look out!"

"What the…?"

…And subsequently found himself buried under half a ton of tools and random junk.

"Hey, watch where you're friggin' going!" Suzuhara groaned from below the rubble, arms flailing pathetically in an attempt to free himself.

"Gee, I'm really sorry, I was kinda in a hurry…"

Now, Touji wouldn't be considered overtly intelligent even by himself, but at least he was smart enough to make out that the voice that had just spoken was indeed very sorry and, this is important, clearly female.

"Err… no it's alright," he murmured, "Just help me out of this alright?"

"Oh, sure!" the girl perked and had soon reduced the load sufficiently for Touji to rise up out of the remaining rubble.

"Hey, haven't I seen you somewhere before?" he asked as soon as he laid eyes on the freckled, pigtailed girl.

"Eh? Really?" the girl said and looked at him a bit more closely. "Now that you mention it, I think I recognise you as well…"

"That's right! You're the chick who was hangin' with my pal Shinji at Imperial Day!" Touji suddenly started to look around quite suspiciously.

"Umm, she ain't here right? That crazy bitch who tried to crack my balls with her knee…"

Hikari blushed at his crude wording, but couldn't help but smile nonetheless. Certainly, this guy was really quite similar to the "crazy bitch" as he'd put it.

"Well, you know, her people don't really like insincere flirting; they think it's an insult to the one being flirted with…"

The freckled girl trailed off as her thought process suddenly went on overdrive. Flirting! That was the trick! If she started to flirt with someone else while Shinji was looking, Shinji'd be sure to get jealous and pay more attention to her, right? Now, if she could only find someone to flirt with…

"Say, you alright?" Touji asked, waving a hand in front of Hikari's blank expression.

"Huh? What? Yeah, sure…" said the girl, shaking her head from side to side. Then her eyes fell on the boy in front of her.

If this had been a cartoon, a shining light bulb would have appeared over Hikari's head at that moment.

"Hey, I was just thinking, how about I buy you a cup of hot cocoa or something? I really feel terrible about running into you and everything!"

"Huh? Gee thanks, that'd be great, but I've gotta get to the recruitment office otherwise 'Suke'll have my hide afterwards…"

"T-then I'll show you the way!" Horaki blurted out and latched onto Touji's arm. Seeing his shocked expression she momentarily thought she might have overdone it, but soon enough Suzuhara broke into a slightly embarrassed grin.

"S-sure, thanks a billion, err… Hikari, right?"

"Y-yeah, that's right…"

Hikari let out relieved sigh. First stage completed, no she'd just have to wait until Shinji saw them together and WHAM, he'd be on his knees and begging her forgiveness for running away!

Together, with Hikari still holding onto Touji's arm, the duo went down the next corridor to the recruitment office.

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"Are you ready, Miss Ayanami?"

"Whenever you are…"

Their sabres violently clashed, for a moment illuminating their faces in green and red before the two combatants pushed each other away with such force that they were both forced to leap of the walls. With mere seconds between, Rei and Kaworu landed in opposite corners of the training room, their crimson eyes never wavering from each other.

"I believe you may have improved, Miss Ayanami," the grey-haired boy panted, "but your weaknesses are still far too apparent!"

This was a lie, of course, Kaworu mused. However, it wouldn't be well to inform his student that she had through but one month's worth of brutal training reached a level nearly equal to his own. Even though Rei was docile and obedient, all darksiders had a rebellious streak to them, however well hidden.

But for things to unfold as planned, Rei needed to remain a puppet just a while longer.

His image flickered for an instance, and Rei found herself with mere nanoseconds to react. A red blur gave her opponent's movements away, and she threw herself to the left just as his blade swept at her from the right. Rolling up, Ayanami noticed an opening in his defence, and with a soft snarl she plummeted at the boy with her sabre held close to her navel.

And then, before her mind even had the time to register her mistake, she found herself soaring through the air and hitting the far wall so hard it made her ears ring like an alarm clock. While her head spun she could hear Nagisa's mocking laughter.

"You are certainly the most amusing person I've ever met, Miss Ayanami," he said as he slowly approached, keeping his emerald sabre leisurely by his side.

Rei's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She bit her lip. That's it, she though, just a few more steps…

"I guess this training has really worked miracles for you," Kaworu continued, seemingly oblivious of the girl malevolent intent. "Though, I wonder…"

He slammed his sabre down on hers without warning, sealing them in an awkward position with her crouching in front of him and he slightly bent forward and to the side, their eyes locked in a combat of wills which neither seemed willing to lose.

"…if you have begun to hate me yet?"

Ayanami didn't need to voice her reply; her flaring, blood-red orbs more than confirmed his supposition. Of course, he mused, there is _one_ person she will have to kill before her transformation is complete. A cruel smile - completely different from his usual mask of indifference - played on the young boy's lips. This would be _fun_.

He backed away slowly, allowing Rei to stand up. While their weapons had been deactivated, their gazes were still locked in a silent duel. This wasn't the end; it was just a temporary truce for the combatants to recollect their strength.

"We'll be leaving for a short time, Miss Ayanami," Kaworu announced, "We're going to have you meet a certain someone..."

"Who?" Ayanami asked bluntly.

Nagisa's eyebrows bobbed for an instance in surprise before his perpetual smile returned. You certainly have changed Miss Ayanami, he mused. Such great changes the continuous eroding of a person's psyche could bring forth! The girl had gone from being blindly loyal and submissive to a self-serving and even slightly paranoid individual, in other words a full-fledged Sith, if yet without the official title.

Naturally, the old man on the throne wouldn't be all too pleased with this, but Kaworu didn't much care about the Emperor or even the Galaxy. His was a mind that operated on much grander scales.

"A surprise," he said mysteriously as they slowly made their way to the door.

"Specify," Rei demanded.

"Denied," Kaworu retorted with a playful smirk.

Rei didn't appear amused. In front of them the doors slid open soundlessly and Kaworu stopped, making an artful gesture to the exit.

"Ladies first…"

Rei gave him a cold stare and passed through, shortly followed by her mysterious instructor. Behind them the doors slid shut with the sound of a falling guillotine.

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The Lambda-class shuttle soared with wailing engines down through the Korriban skies, leaving pallid wisps of scattered clouds in its wake. The pilot SUX-2BU (who'd turned up late when the serial numbers were handed out) fought with the ships controls against the strong Korriban gales while navigator OMG-W7F (ditto) checked the scans for any suitable landing spots.

Within moments they found the grand remnants of an ancient square surrounded by massive temples which had shielded it from excess eroding and creeping sand dunes. It was ideal.

"Right, let's take her down," said SUX-2BU, steering them towards the plaza.

The craft kicked up a cloud of grey dust as it took ground, folding up its durasteel wings like some monstrous bird. As the dust settled, the Lambda-shuttle's ramp dipped down, 2BU and W7F walking down cautiously, hands on their guns.

"A… are… are you… real?" rasped a voice and the two spun around sharply, pointing their weapons at its source.

There, on a chipped block that seemed to have fallen from one of the huge structures aeons ago, a gaunt figure in a torn and dirty full-body suit squatted, staring at them with hollow eyes.

"Sure are, kid. We're just as real as you are."

"I don't feel all that real right now though…" the boy answered.

2BU and W7F exchanged glances.

"Are you Ikari Shinji?" one of them finally asked.

Shinji nodded.

"We're here to take you back to Imperial Centre by orders of Lord Vader himself."

The two pilots saw a glimmer of hope ignite in Shinji's haunted eyes. He crawled down from the rock, stumbled a few times before steadying and slowly approached them.

"If this is some kind of trick," he said dispassionately, "I'll kill the two of you without even thinking twice."

W7F and 2BU backed away slightly, the latter even thought for an instance that the kid had been looking at them with a pair of yellow reptilian eyes. He was quite relieved when a second glance didn't confirm this.

Without a word the boy strode past the confounded troopers and stepped up the shuttle's boarding ramp. 2BU and W7F followed – just as silently and at a respectful distance – and assumed their seats in the cockpit. The duo exchanged glances and concluded that they were both thinking the same thing.

The sooner they could let this mental kid off on board the _Ramiel_ and have a strong drink, the better.

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As the greyish-white Lambda shuttle whipped up another cloud of dust and rose up through the atmosphere like a monstrous bird of prey, some tens of thousand kilometres out in space a vaguely insectoid craft blasted out of hyperspace. The ivory and crimson ship soared towards the awaiting _Ramiel_.

In the liquid-filled cockpit, Nagisa Kaworu smirked down at the barren world.

"So, this is Korriban… I'm kind of disappointed."

His eyes swept over the instruments while his mind explored the space around them. It didn't take long before he noticed the shuttle rising up through the thin desert atmosphere. For one thing, it's cargo stood out like a Wookiee in a crowd of Ewoks.

"I sincerely hope that person is more interesting than this dull little rock. Can't imagine what the old Masters thought when they settled here."

With a single thought he then willed his sinister craft forward. He would have to be set up a "welcoming party" for the young Ikari.

Behind him, a special gift in _very_special wrappings stared emptily at the blackness of space.

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"There we are, Sir," said Tin Lexam, imperial medic aboard the _Ramiel_, with the typical smile of professional doctors across the galaxy, "now just wait here for a moment while we get the test results."

Shinji nodded dumbly and the physician strolled of into the other room, leaving the boy alone.

Naturally, they'd had to run a few tests on him, to see if he might have contracted something contagious while on Korriban. Like the Dr Lexam had half-jokingly pointed out – though the joke hadn't brought any reaction whatsoever from Shinji - they didn't want to find the whole crew sneezing by noon tomorrow. After less than five minutes away Lexam returned, test results in hand.

"Well, all in all you seem like a prime example of imperial health, Sir. Really impressive how you managed to survive down there for a whole month…" Lexam proclaimed, absently talking and rummaging through the papers as he walked before looking up.

Shinji was no-where to be found.

"Well, some minor feelings of disorientation due to mental stress might be expected I suppose…" he added thoughtfully and called for a nurse to go looking for his wayward patient.

As he waited he sat down and had a look at the monochrome pictures showing Ikari Shinji's interior.

And at that moment Dr Lexam figured it would be a very good idea to fetch a coffee, better make that a double, before he'd even try to understand just how in the blazes that boy had been physically capable of just _walking_ out of his office. The usual transport for people whose scans looked anything vaguely similar to this was inside a coffin.

So the medic fetched his double coffee and sat down at his desk, rummaging through the quite disturbing footage, seeking for any errors in their production.

He couldn't find any.

What the pictures revealed was in short the following; Ikari Shinji's stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys and virtually all other internal organs related to his digestive system had singularly collapsed – due to malnutrition no doubt – and shrivelled up like those of a corpse. To even be alive in such a state was a wonder, and to walk around, talk, even being conscious was nothing short of miraculous!

After having yet another look on the scans, the doc decided to just make the calls and call it a day. They didn't pay him nearly enough to deal with shit like this.

SsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsS

Shinji entered the Ramiel's familiar training hall with tentative steps. He felt odd, just hours ago he'd still been wasting away on the weathered temple walls, and now he was back amongst technology, back to civilization.

Back to life.

"It's like… something out of a dream."

"Are you sure you are not still dreaming then?"

Ikari turned to look to where the unfamiliar voice had come from. A boy about his own age with unruly, silvery hair was leaning leisurely against the wall. Shinji could have sworn he hadn't been standing there a minute ago.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"I am that I am," the boy responded cryptically and eased himself off the wall to look straight at the bewildered darksider. He smiled faintly, making Shinji's skin crawl. Those eyes…

"The real question is, Ikari Shinji-kun, who, exactly, are _you_?"

Shinji blinked.

"How do you know my name?"

The ruby-eyed boy's smirk widened. It was the smile of someone who thought pulling the wings of flies or frying ants with a magnifying-glass was a fun and interesting hobby.

"I have my sources, Shinji-kun."

"What kind of sources?"

"Multiple kinds…"

Shinji flexed his right hand in growing frustration. He wasn't in the mood for playing silly mind-games, especially not with some smart-ass who acted like he frigging owned the place. And he just kept giving him that damned superior grin, what in Chaos did he think was so damn_funny_?

"Stop screwing around!" Shinji barked, force-pushing the grey-haired boy right into the wall behind him.

Serves him right, Shinji thought coldly and turned around, walking towards the exit. He'd only managed a few steps before he heard it, a slightly muffled, sort of huffing sound. Shinji stopped dead in his tracks and turned around.

The bastard was _laughing_!

In that instance something inside Shinji went snap. He'd been living at the brink of existence for a whole bloody month, almost loosing his mind or even his life multiple times in the process, and this guy was fucking _laughing_ at him!

"What the Hell is so damn funny?" he roared as he spun around and glared at the chuckling teen, blue lightning crackling off his fingertips.

The boy raised his head and stared back at Shinji.

"Do you hate me, Shinji-kun?" he asked jovially. If his smirk grew any wider the top of his head would be falling off.

Shinji hesitated, he couldn't really say he hated the guy, heck; he'd only known him for less than five minutes! The young darksider felt his aggression fade away. You couldn't hate someone just because they were a socially incompetent jerk, right?

"Hm, I thought so…" the other teen steadied himself up and brushed a few specks of dust from his jet black uniform, "You're not nearly there yet… your time on Korriban may have given you a certain insight, but apparently it was for most part a complete waste of time."

The look he gave Shinji next would have made a crazed Rancor stop dead in his tracks.

"Shinji-kun, I will teach you how to truly despise and hate someone…"

He jerked his head towards the door, and as if on cue, the durasteel shutters parted and a pale girl wearing a silver and purple outfit of a kind popularly referred to as "exotic dancer"- or "slave-girl"-outfit stepped inside. Shinji's jaw dropped.

"Ayanami!" he gasped and turned beat red.

Rei completely ignored him, silently walking up beside the silver-eyed youth. If Shinji had been a bit more observant, he might have gained some comfort from the fact that, if Rei was acting cold against him, her eyes were nothing slight of frosty when they met the other boy's.

"Yes, Nagisa?"

"A-Ayanami?" Shinji stuttered, his hand raised slightly.

Rei turned as she first now seemed to notice him, and the cobalt-eyed boy felt his heart sink into his shoes. The girl's eyes didn't reveal any signs of recognition whatsoever.

"Who are you?" she asked with a hint of irritation in her voice.

Ikari felt like it couldn't have hurt any worse if she'd skewered him on her light-sabre. All of a sudden his body felt extremely cold.

"W-what are you talking about?" he managed and forced a smile, "It's me, Ikari, I… I'm your partner…"

His hand was shaking as he reached out with it to grasp the girl's bare shoulder. She had to remember! Why would he otherwise have stayed alive on that hellish graveyard planet, if not because he knew she would be there waiting once he returned…

"Ayanami…"

She slapped his hand away. Shinji stared at her, completely petrified. Nagisa broke into a fit of hysterical laughter. Furious, Ikari spun around and pointed an accusing finger right under the other teen's nose.

"You… what have you done to her!?" he roared, his entire body shaking from seething anger.

Nagisa simply continued to smile. With a growl Shinji activated his blade and brought it within an inch of the boy's pale throat.

"Answer me!" he barked.

And then suddenly Shinji's blade was pushed away with and he felt a punch hit him straight in the gut that forced him to his knees. But it still took Shinji several moments to realise exactly why. And the conclusion was as terrible as it was simple. Nagisa continued to smirk as he saw realisation dawn on the boy's face.

"Miss Ayanami," he said casually, "the Master wishes to see this person terminated. Do it."

Rei gave her shocked target an evaluating glance.

"He doesn't appear much of a threat."

"No, but this isn't a test of skill, but of mind. Now please proceed."

The girl gave no further answer save for a short nod and a fell strike that Shinji just barely managed to avoid; it simply left a smoking gash on the boys shoulder.

Sluggishly he stood up raised his blade – it felt like a bar of lead in his hands – and looked with horror and disbelief at the stoic face of his attacker.

"Aya… nami?"

Having barely finished his sentence, Shinji saw the faint but unmistakable narrowing of Rei's blood-red eyes, which left him with less than a few seconds to react and raise his sabre to meet the cleaving cut coming from his right.

Why, he thought desperately, why the hell was this happening?

Lounging at Rei he pushed her blade aside and took a leap backwards, playing the defence. His opponent did likewise, but used her backwards-jump to leap back at him with more force, pointing her blade against him like a skewer. Out of pure instinct Shinji gave the girl a force-push that shoved her backwards, although he managed to contain most of his strength in doing so.

Going all out on Rei would be like tearing himself apart.

However, he was fully aware that if things continued like this, Rei would surely kill him, because he could never bring himself to harm her. Not ever.

But… I don't want to die…

You have to kill her.

No!

Kill her.

I… I can't!

Kill her.

Shut up!

Kill her!

"SHUT UP!"

With a roar the young darksider ran his sabre foot-deep into the durasteel fundament, leaning on it like a cane while it gradually sank deeper into the melting metal. Panting and with sweat pouring into his eyes, he gave Nagisa a hateful look. He didn't know how, but he was sure that voice hadn't been one of his own inner demons, but the influence of the crimson-eyed boy.

Kaworu never stopped smirking.

In the meantime, during Shinji's short internal battle, Rei had gotten back on her feet and was in full way of taking advantage of her opponent's apparent state of unawareness. With the purple skirt streaming along her shapely hips, she ran against him at high speed and wrought an attack upon Shinji that would have cut his left arm clean off unless he had moved at that precise moment, leaving him with merely a deep, smoking gash.

"Shi-!" he exclaimed with a hiss, the reptilian glow in his eyes suddenly flaring to life.

With a growl he made a clawing, heaving motion directed at the ground, and with the screeching of metal grinding against metal the durasteel floor heaved and cracked, creating a miniature tremor under Rei's feet. She gasped suddenly and jumped away from the unforeseen danger, splinters grazing her skin as she jumped away from the hotspot. But Shinji just kept wrecking the ground wherever she landed until sparks and scrap metal filled the chamber.

In the background, he suddenly heard Nagisa's mocking voice.

"Miss Ayanami," it said calmly, "why are you wasting time? Dispose of him quickly."

Furious Ikari spun around and launched an angry volley of lightning at Nagisa.

"Shut up you freak!" he barked, getting even angrier when the silver-haired boy easily dodged his attack.

"You still have much to learn Shinji-kun," he said, like he was explaining something to a small child.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

Ikari launched salvo upon salvo of deadly dark energy from his fingertips at the boy, each attack more powerful than the last as his aggression grew more intense. Why wouldn't the bastard just _die_ already? He was determined to get him even if he had to trash the entire ship to do it!

Kaworu grinned, not even breaking a sweat despite his running around.

"I can see that you are slowly getting to terms with things, Shinji-kun," he proclaimed, "but I do not think you fully understand hate yet… here, let me show you!"

The grey-haired teen's image flickered and disappeared, leaving Shinji to blink dumbly a few times and then turn around in furious pursuit of his elusive target.

"Hey! Where the Chaos did you go? Come back here you coward!"

"I'm right here, Shinji-kun…"

Shinji swept around another ninety degrees and what he saw made him feel like exploding with rage. Kaworu was standing behind Rei, his left arm wrapped around her exposed waist, and a noxious green light-sabre held against her neck.

"You would do best to let go…"

Surprisingly, or perhaps not quite so, the angry voice hadn't been Shinji's.

"I believe the Master might scold me if I return with two trophies instead of just one," Rei threatened.

Shinji gaped at the sight. He'd never seen Rei act so, well… _assertive_ before, like she was leagues above everyone else. It was both pretty scary and exciting at the same time.

Gee, I guess a month can do a whole lot of difference… he thought while staring mutely at the ticked off girl.

That was another first, she actually _looked_ angry. And then she swiftly made a backwards kick to free herself, and another one to get Nagisa on the ground, with her sabre pointed at his jugular.

"Don't interrupt me again," she warned and turned back towards Shinji.

Ikari stared into her hard ruby eyes. He knew that Rei was stubborn enough to keep on fighting till one of them lay dead, but maybe, just maybe, there was a way to end this without bloodshed. He squeezed the handle in his sweaty palms.

I guess that's all I can do, he mused silently, preparing himself.

Just as before, Rei came soaring at him, again wielding her blade with the point straight against him. Shinji took a deep breath, and deactivated his sabre.

A split second later, he felt a star of agony explode inside his abdomen, while his eyes met with yet another pair of brightly crimson nebulae, burning with coldness.

"Rei… forgive me…"

Panting through painfully clenched teeth, Shinji raised his right hand aiming for the girl's shoulder. It was like moving in slow-motion, and he suspected he might even be dead before he managed to touch her. And then suddenly, he felt warm, soft skin on his palm. He didn't hesitate but latched onto the shoulder with all the strength he could muster.

He felt the tingling of life-force being transferred, and at the same time saw the surprise surface on the pallid girl's features. She must have noticed what he was trying to do though, because soon enough she started trying to pull away from him, but Shinji kept his grip like a vice. This was the only way he could save both their lives…

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

Ayanami's eyelids grew heavy and her struggles grew weaker with each passing moment, the strength literally drained from her muscles. Finally her fingers eased their hold on the light-sabre hilt, and it automatically deactivated.

The two of them collapsed against each other, latching on to each other for support. Panting, and with the only partially healed wound burning in his chest, Shinji aborted the technique and embraced Rei tightly.

"Ayanami… Rei, I'm so sorry… I had to do it, please forgive me…"

Tears welled up in his eyes and started to roll down his cheeks, falling down on Rei like warm rain.

"Who… are you?" she asked curiously.

"Someone… who loves you…" Shinji answered. Slowly, searchingly, Ayanami's arms wrapped themselves around Shinji's back.

"I don't think I understand," she whispered.

Ikari heaved a sigh. You couldn't have it all he figured, you'd just have to be glad for what you had. He raised his head slightly, that Nagisa or whatever was bound to still be around right? He and Rei were pretty messed up right now, but maybe…

He didn't have to finish that thought, because Kaworu was nowhere to be seen, and Shinji couldn't sense his presence nearby either.

So the young boy decided they might as well stay like they were for a bit longer. Rei didn't voice any objections.

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On Mengel V, in the secret lab that lay more than a kilometre down in the toxic planet's crust, a bearded man walked past the long rows of tubes that pulsated with vague, green-blue lighting. It was like watching the beating of an enormous alien heart.

Inside, the semi-grown forms of the Empires next generation of super-soldiers bobbed lightly in the thick liquid, tubes linking various places of their pale bodies with the complex machinery responsible for keeping them alive and growing. But Gendo didn't pay those much notice.

The only tube he was interested in was inside his office, behind a secret, hidden wall. And this was precisely where he was headed.

The door shut soundlessly behind him. The elder Ikari cast a fleeting glance on the paperwork that was building up on his desk. It could wait.

He pushed a switch and the far wall parted, giving access to a tiny room filled with the same fluorescent light as the rest of the clone factory.

"Sorry I kept you, Yui…" he mumbled.

The thing in the cylinder didn't react. Of course, she was still far away from completion, but Gendo liked talking to the half-grown clone of his wife nonetheless.

He placed his hand on the warm surface. You couldn't keep the tubes cold after all, that would kill the growing clones off instantaneously.

"How have you been?" he asked softly.

It would take a year, maybe a little longer, before she was finished, but Gendo was certain it would be worth the wait. After all, once she was reborn, they would be a happy family once more.

They would all get their lives back.

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_To be continued…_

AN: Alright, I know some of you guys don't like it very much, but I personally think adding ancient Sith, Mando'a and whatnot makes the story a bit more, well… authentic. So here's a short list of words used, even though I try to not make understanding imperative to the plot.

_Vor'e_– Thanks

The Sith chanting in the cave was something I constructed from the tiny amount of Sith words yet invented of the Sith language. Translated it goes like;

_Dark, dark, dark Jedi!_

_Dark, dark, dark (hidden) Truth! _

_Lord, lord, dark Lord!_

_Lord, lord, Sith Lord!_

_The dark side shall free me!_

Hope you're all not too pissed of the lateness, but as I said before, school is eating up most of my time. And as always, thoughts and criticism is very welcome.

See ya, and May the Force be with you!


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